Dr. Carroll Ann Hodges
Secretary, AAAS Section E (Geology & Geography) 1993-2001
Geologist
U.S. Geological Survey
In my view, THE major challenge for the entire world is the inexorable growth of human population. I have long decried the fact that, as a leading scientific organization, AAAS has been virtually silent on the issue of overpopulation and its consequences -- social, economic, and environmental. AAAS could take the lead in seeking political attention to this fundamental problem. At the Fellows Breakfast in San Francisco, George Brown tossed the responsibility for political action back to scientists, who could provide the impetus for Congress to pay attention. Until we acknowledge that we are simply producing more people worldwide than can possibly be absorbed by the economy, reciting the mantra of "jobs, jobs, jobs..." is appealing to nothing more than band-aids. "Development policy without population policy is like mopping the floor with the water running." Population regulation is the primary issue facing humanity; all other matters are subordinate, and AAAS should take a highly visible stance in publicizing the consequences of the course we are already on. There is no shortage of data.
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Dr. C. Eugene Allen,
Dr. Patricia A. Anderson,
Dr. Richard Atkinson,
Dr. Mary Ellen Avery,
Dr. Dorothy F. Bainton,
Dr. Allen J. Bard,
Dr. Joost Businger,
Dr. Barry Commoner,
Dr. Mildred Dresselhaus,
Dr. Joseph G. Gavin,
Dr. Carroll Ann Hodges,
Dr. Gerald Holton,
Dr. Leon Lederman,
Dr. William A. Lester, Jr.,
Dr. Simon Levin,
Dr. Marcia C. Linn,
Dr. Mike McCormack,
Dr. Gerard Piel,
Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg
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