Radical depopulation of the kind for which Attenborough and Population Matters (formerly Optimum Population Trust) yearn, isn’t going to come about via sex education, birth control, or other “non coercive” methods.  Heck, look at China’s brutally tyrannical one child policy, which has only slowed the rate of population growth, not actually reduced the numbers. 

To really get the job done would require genocidal means, which I am sure Attenborough would never consider or support. But I worry that less genteel others might not be so hesitant. 

http://www.nationalreview.com/human-exceptionalism/338296/attenboroughs-anti-human-radicalism#

The only problem in the Wesley J. Smith's article is that the other side of the ledger is growth growth growth.... At this stage there are 7 billions humans on the planet (when I was born there were less than 2 billions) — by 2050, there will be 9 billions, by 2100 there will be 12 billions and by 2200 there will be either 20,000 survivors or 20 billions... A major choice will have to be made sooner or later. 

One quarter of people said they wanted things to stay the same while 8 per cent wanted the population to shrink.

Only 13 per cent voted for 40 million citizens - the mark likely to be hit by 2050 - and 70 per cent hoped that wouldn't happen. Less than five per cent hoped for 50 million countrymen.

But former Treasurer Peter Costello, who famously urged parents to have a child for Australia, said people weren't considering the makeup of the growing population.

"When I encouraged families to have one for mum, one for dad, and one for the country, what I was drawing attention to was the fact that we are an ageing population," he said.

"To me one question is whether it should be a big Australia or a small Australia.

"A more important question is should it be a young Australia or an old Australia."

He said having a high percentage of retirees meant fewer taxpayers paying crippling tax rates.

The country would not be able to afford all its services like healthcare and welfare and economic growth and living standards would decline, he said.

"Whether the population is 20, 30, 50 or 100 million, what we need to do is we need to get a higher proportion of younger people," he said.

"We've got to keep our birthrates up if we want to have a balanced population of young and old people."

Mr Costello said the problem had been on the Howard Government's agenda but had been forgotten by Labor.

http://www.news.com.au/national/can-there-be-too-many-2

Read comments above... see toon by Gus at top... Note the monkey was "shot" (pictured not gunned down) in Africa, circa 1963... and used twice in the toon... The title was going to be "not the planet of the apes"... but that was voted down by my left brain...

Portuguese author and journalist Miguel Sousa Tavares is under investigation for calling President Anibal Cavaco Silva "a clown" in an interview.

The famous writer said his country did not need someone like Italy's comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo, because it already had a clown as leader.

He faces up to three years in prison if found guilty of offending the honour of the President of the Republic.

Mr Cavaco Silva has lost public support over his cabinet's austerity policies.

Recent polls show he has the lowest ratings of any Portuguese president ever, the BBC's Alison Roberts, in Lisbon, reports.

By contrast, Mr Sousa Tavares's work is hugely popular, both in book form and adapted for TV, our correspondent says.

He made the controversial remark in an interview with Portugal's leading financial daily, Jornal de Negocios.

"We already have a clown: His name is Cavaco Silva," he told the newspaper.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22663977

So much for the freedom of expression... I guess Tavares hit the nail on the head... Here at YD we don't shy from stronger linguagem that is quite accurate in regard to our little turd Tony, who seems to be quietly sneaky at the moment — giving the impression of "moderação" while all his acolytes, like Pyne, go berserk...