Mother: Caring for 7 Billion

Just heard about a documentary about the environmental implications of human population growth (and also some of the claims of ecofeminism we previously discussed) called “Mother: Caring for 7 Billion” that seemed oddly relevant to our discussion in class this past week and thought some people might be interested in checking it out!

I haven’t seen the film, but they have a trailer on the site (and I think the whole film can be watched for $0.99 for the rest of International Women’s Month) if anyone’s interested: http://motherthefilm.com/ .

Mother: Caring For 7 Billion from Tiroir A Films on Vimeo.

The description (from their Facebook page) is:

"Mother is a must-see film on why population growth still matters and what is hindering action to reduce it." -Hania Zlotnik Director of Population Division, United Nations

Mother: Caring for 7 Billion is an environmental documentary that looks at the implications of our earth's increasing population and the effect it has on our planet socially and environmentally. Through interviews with experts in the field of environmentalism, social science, economics, human rights and the main character, who is a mother and activist herself, the film strives not to blame but to educate and to highlight a different path for humanity.

Mother, the film, breaks a 40-year taboo by bringing to light an issue that silently fuels our most pressing environmental, humanitarian and social crises - population growth.

Since the 1960s the world population has nearly doubled, adding more than 3 billion people. At the same time, talking about population has become politically incorrect because of the sensitivity of the issues surrounding the topic– religion, economics, family planning and gender inequality. Yet it is an issue we cannot afford to ignore.

Grounded in the theories of social scientist Riane Eisler, the film strives not to blame but to educate, to highlight a different path for humanity. Overpopulation is merely a symptom of an even larger problem - a "domination system" that for most of human history has glorified the domination of man over nature, man over child and man over woman. To break this pattern, the film demonstrates that we must change our conquering mindset into a nurturing one. And the first step is to raise the status of women worldwide.

Mother: Caring for 7 Billion, features world-renown experts and scientists including biologist Paul Ehrlich, author of “The Population Bomb,” economist Mathis Wackernagel, the creator of the ground-breaking Footprint Network, Lester Brown, founder of the Worldwatch Institute, and founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute, Malcolm Potts, a pioneer in human reproductive health, and Riane Eisler, whose book “The Chalice and the Blade” has been published in 23 countries.

Benatar's Better Never to Have Been

We've had some discussion about this book, thought some of you might be interested to see this:

Call for Papers: Benatar’s Better Never to Have Been

Special Issue of the South African Journal of Philosophy, one of the most long-standing philosophy journals in Africa, accredited by the ISI

Guest Editor: Thaddeus Metz (Humanities Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg)

Invited Contributors: David Boonin (Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder) and Saul Smilansky (Professor of Philosophy at the University of Haifa)

Professor David Benatar’s Better Never to Have Been (Oxford, 2006) is the most intricate and careful exposition and defence of anti-natalism. Benatar argues, on the basis of purportedly uncontroversial premises, for a variety of surprising and radical conclusions about the disvalue of our lives and our moral duties in light of it. Benatar argues that no matter how much happiness people might experience during their lives, it would always have been better for them never to have been created. And from the claim that human life is never worth starting Benatar further concludes that it is almost always immoral to procreate and that abortion in the early stages of pregnancy is morally required.

Contributions are sought for an issue of the South African Journal of Philosophy devoted to several facets of anti-natalism and of Benatar’s treatment of it in particular. These include, but are not restricted to, the following:

•      Precisely where is Benatar’s argument for anti-natalism most questionable? How does it compare with other arguments for anti-natalism? Do they share common premises or strategies? Which is the most defensible?

•      Is it plausible to hold anti-natalism without pro-mortalism, viz., the view that we should commit suicide?

•      Under what conditions might one be justified in creating a person whose life is not worth starting in terms of her well-being? Can it be right to create such a person for the sake of helping others? How might considerations of human dignity figure into a justification for creating her?

•      If a child is always worse off for having been created, what are the moral responsibilities of her parents with respect to her? Is compensation owed, and, if so, what kind and how much?

•      If the typical human life is indeed a net harm, how should the state get involved? Should it facilitate wrongful life suits, or discourage procreation?

•      From what standpoint is it appropriate to appraise the quality of our lives? Standpoints range from the most subjective, that of an individual, to that of ‘the universe’, the most objective viewpoint available. Is there a principled way to determine where on the scale is suitable?

Deadline for submissions: 15 October 2011. Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to Thaddeus Metz (tmetz@uj.ac.za). Those whose papers are selected for inclusion in the special issue will be invited to participate in a workshop with Professor Benatar, to be held at the University of Johannesburg on 23-24 November 2011.