false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173018638m/238641.jpg 238641 3 Here's the bottom line according to Bill McKibben: the earth will not be able to sustain its ever increasing population indefinitely. But the population problem is not just a phenomenon of developing nations--the United States is a major environmental threat, gobbling up a huge piece of the resources pie as our numbers grow larger every year. To avoid worldwide catastrophe, McKibben believes that the United States must reduce its birthrate. <P> <i>Maybe One</i> is more about the <I>concept</I> of having only one child per family, than a sanctimonious sermon on the perils producing more than that lone baby will have on the world. Understandably the implications of overpopulation for the planet's resources isn't something the average American cries into his Cheerios about every morning, but <i>Maybe One</i> argues that we must start thinking about family size and stop thinking of population as an "abstract issue" that has no bearing on our lives. McKibben produces compelling if not controversial arguments for curbing the U.S. population explosion, a population which he believes could grow by at least 50 percent by the year 2050 to possibly 400 million people. That's a lot of mouths to feed, fuel to burn, and waste to dispose! McKibben's arguments are a mixture of the highly personal (he speaks in great detail of his decision to have a vasectomy) to the highly global (McKibben cites scary statistics about the greenhouse effect, species extinction, soil erosion, and food shortages). He is particularly passionate about "only children" and that it really is okay to have just one child, arguing that only children are often more intelligent and confident than their multiple-sibling friends. <P> Like in <i>The End of Nature</i> an earlier McKibben book concerned with man's catastrophic contribution to the greenhouse effect, McKibben urges us in <i>Maybe One</i> to really think about our relationship with the earth. He writes, "No decision any of us makes will have more effect on the world (and on our lives) than whether to bear another child." Prophetic words, but words many parents will find difficult by which to abide. <I>--Naomi Gesinger</I> 2603016 1998 Maybe One: A Case for Smaller Families total:50|5:11|4:18|3:16|2:4|1:1| 50 184 88 12 1 2 false false Tue Oct 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 03 19:00:33 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 07 10:24:19 -0700 2008 5 1 false false Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Mon Jun 25 14:49:36 -0700 2007 Mon Jun 25 14:53:41 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jul 28 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 03 21:04:32 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 28 21:41:18 -0700 2008
A quote that stuck out like a sore thumb: "If gasolin...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Aug 17 14:42:22 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 17 15:07:51 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Oct 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 23 11:18:27 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 16:12:21 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri May 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 27 08:26:27 -0700 2008 Fri May 29 13:39:41 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Mar 02 09:37:29 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 09:37:50 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 10 10:07:07 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 10 10:22:48 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Mar 30 18:40:09 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 30 18:50:56 -0700 2008
McKibben does a fantastic job of breaking down the ethical & environmental reasons why US families should consider remaining childless, or having :maybe one" child. In the process, he also address...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jul 14 11:11:11 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 14 11:13:19 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Feb 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 20 10:07:15 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 20 10:08:50 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Thu Aug 07 06:16:20 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 07 06:17:05 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Mon Nov 16 08:45:05 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 16 08:45:13 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Nov 15 01:21:44 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 01:21:44 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Nov 02 20:49:44 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 20:49:44 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Oct 28 12:49:40 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 12:49:40 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Oct 27 17:13:44 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 27 17:13:44 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Oct 13 19:38:39 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 19:38:39 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Oct 10 14:05:50 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 10 14:05:50 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Sep 23 18:08:36 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 23 18:08:36 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=238641