06/15 (LWN-Commentary) Even as oil comes ashore on the Gulf Coast and images of blackened wildlife appear on television, many businessmen and politicians insist upon the "necessity" of offshore drilling to "power our economy". Though the loss of life caused by recent mining disasters in West Virginia and Kentucky received media attention, the severe environmental effects of coal mining were largely ignored.

These disasters have inspired some recent talk of renewable energy and "energy independence", but the media, corporations, and government are unwilling to address the massive obstacles blocking progress in these fields. Overpopulation, coupled with massive waste and an automobile-centered society, makes preventing environmental disasters or using fewer fossil fuels a fantasy.

For political leaders in the U.S. and most other countries, taking any steps to limit population growth has become a "taboo". Even as we see the heavy pollution caused by overpopulation in China, the U.S. media criticizes China's "One Child" policy, treating it as a totalitarian measure that will eventually be repealed. Meanwhile, the U.S. tax system continues to encourage having multiple children.

Some countries with lower birth rates, like Russia and Japan, fear that their population might decrease. In reality, this would probably benefit them. For example, look at the oil-producing nations of Libya, Ecuador, and Nigeria; each has a much different level of population density. The higher population numbers clearly correspond with greater poverty, instability, and environmental damage.

The world collectively suffers from overpopulation, regardless of the situation in one country or another. As long as people continue to strive for a society of excessive reproduction, consumption, and motorized travel, there will be no end to environmental disasters worldwide. No form of energy can realistically sustain our level of consumption without destroying the environment.