Haiti

Haiti has been making headlines in the recent days. But the earthquakes seem to be just one of the issues the island is facing.

I came across the following article on Times Online:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6281614.ece

It certainly is a disturbing read. But important problems, like sustainability, environmental and social impact can be seen coming together, often, one as a direct result of another. The biggest problem is overpopulation, as that is easily the root of all other problems: "population growth is rising. Haiti was considered unsustainably overcrowded in the 1950s, when the population was 3m. Now it is 9m". So keep that in mind. It's not just that the population is rising, but rising at a faster rate. Estimated for 2009: 1.838% growth. Doesn't seem much, but a rate like that for 6 consecutive years would mean a population of 10 million.

The CIA World Factbook has this to say on Haiti's natural hazards:
"lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts"
And this on the environmental issues:
"extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water".

Now, that doesn't sound very optimistic for the future of food production in Haiti. And is already depending on foreign aid to feed its people. Just sending food there is just a way of postponing the uncomfortable auto-balancing of nature: if there are 10 million people but food just for 5 million people, many will starve to death. And if the food prices will go up again, this will very likely happen.

Here's my list of questions:
- (hypothetically speaking)... do you think it's more moral to allow 5 million people to die let's say 6 years from now than 4 million people today?
- is it more moral to keep let's say 6 million vs 2 million people alive by supplying them with food? Do numbers matter?
- is it better to have a country of 9 million people, most of which are a burden to the rest of the world (regardless of how external factors are responsible for the current situation) than 1-2-3 million that can live at a sufficiently good level to allow its people to become contributors to the world's economy, science or art development? Do numbers matter now?
- does it make sense to help people build their lives in a hurricane exposed, environmentally abuse area?

A proposed solution was mass emigration from the island. Right... who will take in millions of immigrants, half of which are illiterate?

Gusty out.