UT professor says death is imminent
UT professor says death is imminent
By Jamie Mobley
The Gazette-Enterprise
Published April 2, 2006
AUSTIN A University of Texas professor says the Earth would be better off with 90 percent of the human population dead.
Every one of you who gets to survive has to bury nine, Eric Pianka cautioned students and guests at St. Edwards University on Friday. Piankas words are part of what he calls his doomsday talk a 45-minute presentation outlining humanitys ecological misdeeds and Piankas predictions about how nature, or perhaps humans themselves, will exterminate all but a fraction of civilization.
Though his statements are admittedly bold, hes not without abundant advocates. But what may set this revered biologist apart from other doomsday soothsayers is this: Humanitys collapse is a notion he embraces.
Indeed, his words deal, very literally, on a life-and-death scale, yet he smiles and jokes candidly throughout the lecture. Disseminating a message many would call morbid, Piankas warnings are centered upon awareness rather than fear.
This is really an exciting time, he said Friday amid warnings of apocalypse, destruction and disease. Only minutes earlier he declared, Death. This is what awaits us all. Death. Reflecting on the so-called Ancient Chinese Curse, May you live in interesting times, he wore, surprisingly, a smile.
So whats at the heart of Piankas claim?
6.5 billion humans is too many.
In his estimation, Weve grown fat, apathetic and miserable, all the while leaving the planet parched.
The solution?
A 90 percent reduction.
Thats 5.8 billion lives lives he says are turning the planet into fat, human biomass. He points to an 85 percent swell in the population during the last 25 years and insists civilization is on the brink of its downfall likely at the hand of widespread disease.
[Disease] will control the scourge of humanity, Pianka said. Were looking forward to a huge collapse.
But dont tell local citizen scientist Forrest Mims to quietly swallow Piankas call to awareness. Mims says its an abhorrent death wish and contends he has no choice but to take a stand.
Mims attended the educators doomsday presentation at the Texas Academy of Sciences annual meeting March 2-4. There, the organization honored Pianka as its 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist another issue Mims vocally opposes.
This guy is a loose cannon to believe that worldwide genocide is the only answer, said Mims, who filed two formal petitions with the academy following the meeting.
Joining the crusade, James Pitts, who recieved a Ph.D. in physics from UT-Austin, became the second to publicly chastise Pianka when he filed a complaint Saturday with the UT board of regents. He insists a state university is no place to disseminate such views.
More @ http://tinyurl.com/z9t8k The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise
The little boxes came with the text, why I don't know?
So this is what passes for a professor in an institution of higher learning in this nation now-days! It's no wonder so many college grads don't know their ass from their elbow.
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