FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LEFT WING LUNACY

Feed more people who breed more people who need to be fed so that etc etc.


Environment Secretary Hilary Benn’s claim that British farmers would need to grow GM food to meet the demands of a market that will face higher food prices and global food shortages is the classic trademark of New Lie-bour and its ideological clones in Canada. His remarks followed a government report that global food production would have to increase by 70% to satisfy the needs of another 2 billion people by 2050. But trying to relieve starvation by growing more food for a growing population is like buying pants with a bigger waist line to lose weight---with our appetite we will only grow into them. The question is, shall we manage the environment to accommodate population growth or reduce population to accommodate the environment? Obviously the green-left favours the former course.

They have engineered a staggering population increase in Britain while presiding over the steep declines in food production. Net imports of food exceed exports by over 15 billion pounds. Aside for the usual cast of politically correct villains, like the 6 billion dollars worth of food thrown out by British consumers each year, or the 610 lbs. wasted per family with children per year, and the failure to redevelop brownfield land, largely immigrant-driven population growth must be assigned some blame. As one Jeremy Clarkson once put it, “If we build three million new houses by 2020, where will we grow all the stuff needed to feed the people who live in them?” (Sunday Times, 21 October 2007)

Similar sentiments were expressed in response to Benn’s remarks:

“The answer is not US/ Multinational backed GM crops - but family planning in the Third World and reduced immigration into Britain and Europe. This government has failed to appreciate that this country is becoming more and more overcrowded, with housing being built over agricultural land to exasperate matters further. I don't know whether our politicians are mad, totally incompetent or a bit of both.”

“The root cause of the problems associated with the supply of food is the burgeoning world population. Sooner or later food producing countries will need their own food for their own people. The UK has a sustainable population of less than 30 million, why is this subject never mentioned by any of the political parties.

Not only is population growth of concern to sustainable food supply but it is the prime mover in many of the other problems afflicting humanity. For instance CO2 in the atmosphere has grown in direct proportion to world population almost back to when records began. What part of this do the politicians fail to understand, perhaps if we had a House of Lords which was a House of Expertise, there might be a chance of a proper debate.

Meanwhile we hear talk of expanding the UK population to over 70 million when we should be setting out a sustainable plan for the future. Lets hope the worst scenario never happens as anarchy and two for one offers are not compatible.”
- John, Lymm, Cheshire, 11/8/2009 4:08

“Hilary Benn and his ilk never mention the solution to the food shortage problem; controlling population. Third Worldcountries need to be educated on contraception and this country needs to stop further immigration and stop child benefit after the second child. The public will never accept GM food, so why do these politicians keep bringing the subject up.”
- Sue M, Watford, Hertfordshire, England., 10/8/2009 10:33

“If we want to be self-sufficient, why are we not looking to reduce the population and stop immigration?”
- Greytide, Staffordshire UK, 10/8/2009 9:53

“There wouldn't be a food shortage problem if the human race could be bothered to control its population levels. Even forcing unnatural foods like GM crops on us will no longer be sufficient at some point in the future because it will just encourage continued over population.”
- John, Hemel Hempstead, 10/8/2009 14:14

Canada’s “New” Democratic Party shows a similar disregard for the nation’s food security. It promises even more generous child benefits (aka birth incentives) than are currently provided by the Conservative government of Stephen Harper, and an immigration intake that is 25% higher than the incumbent government. This when 60,000 acres of prime farmland in Ontario alone is lost to development to house 130,000 more migrants each year. Not surprising. Leader Jack Layton, like NDP Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and former NDP Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, all believe in something called “sustainable growth”. That’s a universal social democratic affliction though, isn’t it? Remember Tony Blair? “Unless we grow sustainably, at some point we face catastrophe” ( Tony Blair, speech in Maputo, Mozambique, September 2002). Grow Britain’s population sustainably? Grow GM crops sustainably? Grow housing developments sustainably? Grow the limits? Like hell.
Tim Murray, August 11/09