I am not a scientist, a statistician, an economist, a politician, an academic, a journalist or writer. I am an elderly (74 years old) lower middle class college educated woman simply wanting to examine and explore from the ordinary person’s point of view a subject that has alarmed and mystified me since I was a child… an 11 year old girl whose common sense told her that if we didn’t address population growth and its effect on our planet, we would have some real problems. I would like to make it very clear that I am making no claims of expertise in any of the subjects that I explore in this book. All the information that is presented is readily available online and in previous publications.(books, articles, interviews, that I have read or researched online) Naturally there exist many varied opinions, and also varied statistics when information is researched in this way. Because very few of my sources are referenced, except when directly quoted, I would like to express my sincere appreciation, gratitude, and apologies to all those whose expertise, research and informed opinions I have borrowed from to present this simplified exploration of a very complex problem. My intent in writing this book is not to present new information, but simply to explore a subject that for many people seems to be somewhat taboo to discuss. I am curious as to why this is so, and writing this book is my attempt to engage in a discussion about the importance of population control to help us as a species to begin to heal the imbalance we have created on the precious planet we inhabit.

-J.K. Rush

“Unlike plagues of the dark ages or contemporary diseases (which) we do not yet understand, the modern plague of overpopulation is soluble by means we have discovered and with resources we possess. What is lacking is not sufficient knowledge of the solution, but universal consciousness of the gravity of the problem and the education of the billions who are its victims.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.