- #1
m.e.t.a.
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- 0
Somewhere between one third and one half of [STRIKE]all human deaths [/STRIKE] all deaths of children under 5 are caused, either directly or indirectly, by malnutrition.
Human starvation is an issue which is surely on all our minds a great deal of the time. It is often discussed, and there is a mountain of data on the subject. But there are still some questions about starvation which I am largely ignorant.
I have two main questions. For each question, it can be presumed that I refer to some local region/population which suffers greatly from starvation.
1. Is the supply of food and water insufficient?
Is starvation caused, in part, by the supplies of food and/or water diminishing over time, eventually reaching levels too low to sustain the local population? If so, what factors contribute to this diminishing supply?
i) Climate change / unprecedentedly adverse weather.
ii) There is ample farmland to support the population, but the crops fail more often than they used to, or are now more frequently ravaged by pests.
iii) The number of able farmers is diminishing.
iv) The quality of the water is decreasing year on year, e.g. due to chemical contaminants, parasites, or harmful microbes.
v) Diminishing supplies of cattle, fish, and other animals.
vi) Other factors...?
2. Is there overpopulation?
Is starvation caused, in part, by the human population growing unchecked until it is too large for the available farmland to support? If so, what factors contribute to this overpopulation?
i) There is insufficient birth control (and the instinct to copulate is too strong to resist).
ii) There is widespread rape in the region.
iii) It is traditional or customary to have many children.
iv) Having many children benefits you personally (e.g. the children will grow into adults who will then help support you and your family).
v) There is mass immigration to the region.
vi) Other factors...?
I apologise if some of these questions are considered taboo, or so obvious as to require no explanation. But I would be grateful for any answers to any of the questions. In particular, I'd like to know whether both (1) and (2) are equally significant causes of starvation, or whether one is far more significant than the other.
Human starvation is an issue which is surely on all our minds a great deal of the time. It is often discussed, and there is a mountain of data on the subject. But there are still some questions about starvation which I am largely ignorant.
I have two main questions. For each question, it can be presumed that I refer to some local region/population which suffers greatly from starvation.
1. Is the supply of food and water insufficient?
Is starvation caused, in part, by the supplies of food and/or water diminishing over time, eventually reaching levels too low to sustain the local population? If so, what factors contribute to this diminishing supply?
i) Climate change / unprecedentedly adverse weather.
ii) There is ample farmland to support the population, but the crops fail more often than they used to, or are now more frequently ravaged by pests.
iii) The number of able farmers is diminishing.
iv) The quality of the water is decreasing year on year, e.g. due to chemical contaminants, parasites, or harmful microbes.
v) Diminishing supplies of cattle, fish, and other animals.
vi) Other factors...?
2. Is there overpopulation?
Is starvation caused, in part, by the human population growing unchecked until it is too large for the available farmland to support? If so, what factors contribute to this overpopulation?
i) There is insufficient birth control (and the instinct to copulate is too strong to resist).
ii) There is widespread rape in the region.
iii) It is traditional or customary to have many children.
iv) Having many children benefits you personally (e.g. the children will grow into adults who will then help support you and your family).
v) There is mass immigration to the region.
vi) Other factors...?
I apologise if some of these questions are considered taboo, or so obvious as to require no explanation. But I would be grateful for any answers to any of the questions. In particular, I'd like to know whether both (1) and (2) are equally significant causes of starvation, or whether one is far more significant than the other.
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