I've been thinking about this very issue for some time now. I didnt even know about OPT!! Well done to Attenborough for raising this difficult topic!
You know ever since watching Logans Run i thought what a good idea! Sure when im an old fart i dont think i'd like to be carted off pit of swirling death but perhaps there is some better way to go about it. Taking the fact that limiting the length of life will probably be the last option to choose in order to curb population growth, the other main option is to reduce births
So how to reduce births?? Like many have said Europe is not the issue here - the increase in birth is quite minimal - although those who are reproducing are said to be the inappropriate ones. I mean this government do not give any tax breaks to educated professionals to have children yet the single poverty-stricken mums who play the benefits game are all too prevalent!! Unfortunately this leads to the topic of Eugenics and we all know where this can lead thanks to a certain Mr Hitler!
Taking a look at the
population pyramids you can see that western European countries will suffer in having to support an older population - look at Italy for worst case. Increasing working age and various other schemes could help dent this issue.
As been stated before migration to this country is the issue. A certain level of migration is good but when the likes of Ethiopia/India/China have an obscene growth in population they can only spread out and migrate to countries which are controlling living conditions by naturally controlling birth rates.
So we close the borders to Europe and perhaps the UK from immigrants! But wait we can’t do that! That leading down the path of being branded racist and xenophobic!
If the world is to be an open free place we need the likes of such booming populations such as Ethiopia/India/China to reduce their levels - will this happen? Of course not!! Most of the population live in poverty! Education as such is a low priority and so this message of reducing numbers for the better good of the world will not be told.
Okay so far this all leads us to the conclusion that we cannot curb population by controlling living age limit and births. Quite frankly the world is stuffed and sad as it is say our only hope is that natural disasters and war will reduce numbers... after all it has been that way since our existence.
