Less

I have a dirty little secret I never told anyone in Africa. It runs contrary to the beliefs of many of the benevolent mzungus there. It clashes with religious doctrines ingrained in the culture. It calls humanitarian theory into question, directly challenges the missions of hundreds of NGOs, fundamentally opposes the nature of the species.

I believe there should be less people on the Earth, not more. I believe those who wish to make the world a better place shouldn’t try to save lives. I believe epidemics and other public health calamities serve as checks and balances on the teeming human population. I believe the Earth is going to capsize under the load of civilization if we don’t soon change our behavior as a species. And nowhere is this more obvious than it is in East Africa.

Everywhere I went, there were so many people. The cities are overflowing. You go to the country, and all you see are more people. There is nowhere I encountered where there weren’t tons and tons of people all the time. So many people. So many children. So many babies.

The post “baby-boom” United States has a population density of 87.4/sq mi. and a median age of 36.9.

Ethiopia has a population density of 194 people per square mile and a median age of 16.8. Half the people in the country are less than seventeen years old. Kenya has a population density of 174.1/sq mi. and a median age of 18.9. Uganda has a population density of 355.2/sq mi, four times that of the U.S., and a median age of 15.1, the lowest in the world.

The population of the continent has been exploding, but soon it is going supernova. Ethiopia had a population of 31.7 million in 1971, 51.5 million in 1990, and now has about 83 million residents. It’s estimated that this number will be over 210 million by 2060.

The exploding population is oblivious to their effects on the Earth. They have bigger fish to fry. There are no emissions standards in Addis Ababa, a city where cars only appreciate in value. There is no recycling. Waste is perpetual but seen as inconsequential.

I live in one of the most environmentally-conscious cities on Earth, but wasn’t nearly as conscious myself until I went to Africa. I went looking for More, but the answer I found was Less. I am so much less than I thought I was four months ago. All my attempts at increasing things, searching for elixirs and additions to my life, have always failed. It’s never more. Don’t eat until you’re full. Eat until you’re not hungry. Don’t drink until you’re drunk. Drink until you feel it. Sleep less. Masturbate less. Talk less. Buy less. Always less.