DEL.ICIO.USBillionaire environmentalist says world has too many people
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/03/08
Failure to address global warming will have us all dead or eating each other by mid-century.
So says Ted Turner, the restaurateur, environmentalist and former media mogul whose controversial comments have earned him the nickname "Mouth of the South."
 JOHN SPINK/AJC | ||
| Ted Turner in a March 31, 2008 photo. | ||
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If steps aren't taken to stem global warming, "We'll be eight degrees hotter in 30 or 40 years and basically none of the crops will grow," Turner said during a wide-ranging, hour-long interview with PBS's Charlie Rose that aired Tuesday.
"Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals," said Turner, 69. "Civilization will have broken down. The few people left will be living in a failed state — like Somalia or Sudan — and living conditions will be intolerable."
One way to combat global warming, Turner said, is to stabilize the population.
"We're too many people; that's why we have global warming," he said. "Too many people are using too much stuff."
Turner suggested that "on a voluntary basis, everybody in the world's got to pledge to themselves that one or two children is it."
Admitting that he's "always suffered from foot-in-the-mouth disease," Turner added, "I've gotten a lot better, though. It's been a long time since anybody caught me saying something stupid."
Turner went on to say that military budgets need to be cut "way back."
"Right now, the U.S. is spending $500 billion a year on the military, which is more than all 190 countries in the world put together," he said.
"The two countries that the military industrial complex and some of our politicians would like to demonize and make enemies are Russia and China," Turner said. "China just wants to sell us shoes. They're not building landing craft to attack the United States, and Russia wants to be our friends, too."
He said that despite the United States' huge military budget, "we can't win in Iraq."
"We're being beaten by insurgents who don't even have any tanks, they don't have a headquarters, they don't have a Pentagon, we don't even know if they have any generals," Turner told Rose.
Turner called the Iraqi insurgents "patriots" who "don't like us because we invaded their country and occupied it. Nobody likes to be invaded."
The CNN founder also said he thinks his old network has veered too far away from serious news, instead favoring lighter stories delivered by attractive female "chickies" and opinion-based news such as Lou Dobbs' show.
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Comments
By edwina
May 13, 2009 4:30 PM | Link to this
Ted is spot on ! ! But the bleeding hearts don't want to face cold hard facts.
We can do it Malthus' way, e.g., war, pestilence, famine, or we can do it by strictly limiting propagation.
By Roberto
May 3, 2009 12:20 PM | Link to this
Great information by Ted Turner once again!!! This planet is on the verge of destruction as a result of uncontrolled breeding by humans. We now have the polar bears headed toward extinction & that's only the beginning. People imagine it's okay to "Be fruitful and multiply" as some religions dictate. We even have Catholic bishops who are upset that Obama will speak at Notre Dame, surely because Obama says family planning and "a womens right to to choose" is fine. We need to get the religious True Believers OUT of control of civilization. Those folks want to dictate how to run this world, but they foolishly imagine it's "beneficial" to ignore scientific facts whenever such real information disagrees with their religions. Mr. Turner's comments are those of a prescient genius. Normally It would be expected anyone with his fine abilities would IGNORE the many problems being caused by the huge majority of humans with (relatively) deficient minds.
By Frank
Apr 29, 2009 11:13 PM | Link to this
Ted Turner you are a freak. Im sorry but i think you are way to radical and need to come out of the far left and more to the middle buddy.
By LLPR
Apr 2, 2009 7:18 PM | Link to this
Ted Turner is Captain Planet he created the animated series to educate about global warming now he has a new Hero who joins Cartoon Network in Ben:10 Alien Swarm Grace Baine planeteer Alien, Ben:10 Ryen Kelley, Alyssa Diaz, Galadriel Stineman, Natha Keyes, and Barry Corbin, they are directed by Alex Winter to take over earth this fall 2009. No wories they will keep planet earth green but, no promises on keeping Zombies away from tuning in to Cartoon Network . Tune in to the dailyflog.tbs.com and www.broadcasting cable.com
www.imdb.com/name/nm1140761/
By YALONDA
Mar 18, 2009 1:08 PM | Link to this
HEY WAT UP DIS YO GRL LAY LAY I READ THIS ARTICLE AND IT IS OFF THE CHAIN I LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH THE ENVRONMENT
By nick_cnatrc
Jan 1, 2009 1:16 PM | Link to this
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By nick_cnatrc
Jan 1, 2009 1:15 PM | Link to this
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By John Jones
Dec 29, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this
I am interested if you have any information about preventing/reducing coal carbon poultants about industry. I am looking to use my contacts in China to introduce some remeadial action in this area.
Thank you
By trerdo
Dec 9, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
sitcocao
By trerdo
Dec 9, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
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