Quickies

Skepchick Quickies 1.17

Amanda

Amanda works in healthcare, is a loudmouthed feminist, and proud supporter of the Oxford comma.

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11 Comments

  1. There’s something charming about the way she said, “Brain removal happens in the sink.”

    It may be that it’s early and I haven’t had my tea yet.

  2. Concerning the article on giving equal rights to women – I think it has been known for a long time that this will lower birth rates. However, how to you accomplish this in a world where the Pope still tells people they shouldn’t use birth control, and where other leaders worry more about having control over the current population (which often means less education) than the future of the earth?

    In addition, it seems that when countries do achieve better rights for women and lower birth rates (see most European countries), they put policies in place to encourage people to have more children so they have enough people paying taxes. This is also very short-sighted.

    1. Agreed on what you mention about the pope.
      And there’s also the mentality he influences in the people that follow his church.

      People like my uncle that do so have the opinion “If a woman wants an abortion, let her pay for it out of her own money, not my tax dollars”. The same goes for his (and my aunt’s) opinion on birth control.
      They don’t want to believe in any benifits of reduction of populaiton or poverty. All they want is to fight abortion, believing it’s equal to murder.

      As long as such mentality exists, I don’t see much hope in what the article offers.

  3. I’m not sure giving women equal rights world wide will be what saves the human race from extinction in the next thousand years, but it will be a good thing.

      1. I’m concerned that in the short term, it could make things *much* worse. Access to abortion in China and India is creating huge gender imbalances there, and huge populations of single men create all kinds of political problems. I’m talking increased hyper-nationalism and chance of war.

        1. Are you saying that sex-selctive abortions are an example of too much equality for women? Because, you realize that sex-selective abortions don’t occur because women are equal.

  4. No doubt we’re overpopulated. Humans are the most pervasive and draining invasive species the world has ever seen. However…..the “subtract people” hypothesis of environmentalists is a bit off.

    Yes, we need a reduction in numbers. We also need a sustainable plan of action. The Elrichs themselves said the wealthy alone are draining our resources.

    Look into Agroforestry and intercropping as one huge and overlooked solution. Shade grown coffee as well.

    Women play a HUGE role in this. If you look at psychology studies, the primary way to get people to live more sustainably is to set a good example. Peer pressure. Women, I think, are great at inspiring change and being leaders.

  5. I do hope folks take a little time to read the Ehrlichs’ paper, and not just the Strombo piece. It’s powerful stuff.

    They also talk about “the ‘endarkenment’ —a
    rapidly growing movement towards religious orthodoxies
    that reject enlightenment values such as freedom of thought,democracy, separation of church and state, and basing beliefs and actions on empirical evidence.”

    I think we’re all on the same wavelength there!

    I admire the Ehrlichs for their persistence over the past 45 years and for keeping their message up to date.

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