Wanted: Fewer People in the U.K.

"Overpopulation is the main cause of environmental degradation," says Madeleine Bunting, writing in the London Guardian. Common sense tells us that, "if the planet's resources are being grossly depleted, there are just too many of us about." Yet none of the main environmental lobbying groups will mention that obvious fact "because of the unpleasant associations it brings
with it."

If we admitted that there were too many of us on this "crowded island" of Great Britain, we'd have to either limit immigration, which would seem racist, or limit family size, which would seem authoritarian. So the Green lobby tries to insist that if we all just recycle more and drive less, we can live together in ever-greater numbers. If only that were true. At the current rate of increase, by 2074 Britain will be the most densely populated country in the world after Bangladesh.

"How many more people can you squeeze into cities that already seem to be choking under the weight of their population density-the buses and trains packed, the streets clogged, and the parks on a Sunday afternoon teeming with people?" The challenge of the next few decades will be to have that debate "while steering well clear of racism."

Jeff's take: such a shame that honest debate about over-population and its enormous negative effects is stifled by the PC police.

Stress of Getting to the Airport

Simply getting to the airport has become increasingly stressful in the last few years. (Nevermind TSA), consider the following:

1. You have to pack the night before or very early that morning, and that in itself is an unusual burden. Then, largely because people are going to bed later and sleeping fewer hours per night you need to get to bed at a reasonable hour and get up on time.

2. Unless you've allowed plenty of time to get ready in the morning, you have to dress and groom yourself more quickly, and get out the door at a specific time.

3. Then there's the trip to the airport. If you're driving, you have to make sure your car is in tune, hope that the traffic won't be too bad, and that there will be no other circumstances that prevent your timely arrival. If you're taking a taxi or shuttle, you still have to hope that it comes on time, and that it doesn't experience the same problems on the road that you might have.