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I don't understand why nobody talks about population control when talking about enviromental problems and solutions. It is clear that ecologically speaking we are a pest and no matter what we do about reducing emisions and polution, if we dont control our population we will become extinct... that is what I think anyway.

We're not taking the time to learn from the indiginous popualtions about their knowledge of the local environment. We think we know best, so we exploit. We move too fast and we do not take the time to see the connections in all things...we need to experience not to be always told. We must spend more time in nature and not behind walls.
"And very sadly indeed the greatest own goal of all was the marijuana tax act of 1937 which saw hemp taxed at $200 dollars putting it far beyond the finances of farmers and processors alike. The prohibition of cannabis hemp then sped across the world and nations like India and Bangladesh. Two nations that once grew Indian hemp and bhang, now grow, chemical sprayed, cancer causing, soil depleting COTTON! As you should already know, any biomass can be processed into ethanol. Hemp would probable be the most productive for as many as 25,000 products can be produced from this plant. It is known to be 30% more productive than rapeseed yet UK farmland is covered in fields of lovely yellow flowers each year. Pretty flowers, yes, but apart from the pretty flowers what benefit is there in utilising an inferior crop? There are ways to globally mass-produce and process hemp as resource lungs for the world."

Man's greatest environmental goal could be his/her ownself... if people don't care about themselves, they won't give as much attention to their environment and surroundings.
"What about waste management... with plastics threatening to clog everything from tree roots to birds and sea animals. Its another self-goal."

It must be understood that global warming is also a result of millions of individual actions, e.g. taking the car instead of public transport/walking, or "cheap" flights that are environmentally expensive. So our greatest environmental own goal is either not knowing or never considering the consequences of our actions.
"Overpopulation and resource mismanagement. Due to our insatiable appetite for things we cannot normally get at home, we're willing to spend incredible amounts just to bring it there. This money goes into expanding the same consumption since the number of people who want it increases all the time as people find out, and as the standard of living is raised. Since this consumption is reliant on bringing (eg Australian) foodstuffs or (Indian) incense to Europe, it has to be transported, usually by air, and transport keep increasing as we all know. Increased transportation use means increased stratospheric pollution by planes, increased number of trucks on our roads, increased green house gas emissions, increased wear and tear on infrastructure, and soon we will have more lorries than we have roads to fit them on. All this just because every now and then I want to impress my Swedish friends with a salsa on mango and avocado (imported straight from Australia). This is a spectacular own goal... Talk about putting your foot in your mouth."

Overpopulation, dummy.
"I think the fact that humans cannot control their own population at all. The more there are of us, the more damage we all make. If there were only half the current amount of humans in 2100, many things were easier to control. Also, many regions in the world were easier to mend from the damage they have sustained from human hands."

1. Global warming 2. Water wasting 3. Toxics and pollution 4. Overfishing 5. Invasive species
"Animal (factory) farming and eating meat!!! This has got to be in the top 5 as it contributes to all the own goals. There's the massive waste of water going into the farming of animals, the massive greenhouse gas emissions of methane (contributing more to global warming then CO2). The incredible amount of toxic chemicals used on the animals to produce meat that isn't diseased but makes it more toxic anyway. That fishing is killing our oceans so stop eating fish!!! And we introduce animals to control pests so we can protect our precious herds of cattle and sheep just thinking about our stomachs. Also meat is killing people as much as the animals. Humans biggest own goal? Not being vegetarian!!"

Don't forget Nuclear Power
"Plain old litter is a biggy... maybe not as big as some of the others... but ya know... everyday at skool i see my freinds mindlesly chuk their rubbish on the ground when there is a perfectly operational bin 2 meters away from them... i get up them n tell em 2 pik up their stuff but they refuse n leave it there 4 the wind to take it away to the nearby creek... i pik a bit up but it just gets me why some ppl just cant b bothered 2 put it in a bin or just keep it in their pokets. well theres my angry rant..hope u enjoyed! hehe peace n love."
"The United Nations has said the disappearance of the Aral is the worst man-made environmental disaster."
"Too many people! It is my considered opinion that man's greatest environmental own goal has been the failure to accept that excessive human numbers is the single most important factor underlying mankind's devastating impact on the environment. This needs free and frank debate leading to democratic and equitable ways to bring our population into line with the Earth's carrying capacity. It applies to rich nations as much as to the developing world."
The views expressed on this page are those submitted by people who have visited this web site. They do not constitute the official opinion or view on these subjects by WWF.