Where There Is a Need, There Is a Way - When Disaster Strikes - page 17

It is anticipated that the world's population will reach 7 billion in the year 2011, meaning
that between the start of the year 2000 and the end of 2011 (barring some huge catastrophe that
kills many millions of people), we will have added more people to the population of our world
than lived on the entire planet just two hundred years ago! There is simply no way we can
achieve a sustainable future unless our population stops growing and starts shrinking. Either
Nature will do this for us, with starvation and plagues spreading across the planet as our natural
and manmade systems fall apart, or mankind will use its intelligence and free will to proact-
ively implement positive solutions to these issues.
Are You a Gambling Man?
“ Is it not too late if one waits until one is thirsty to begin digging a well? ” —Old Chinese saying
So, what are the chances that any of the prior four scenarios will actually come to pass, or that
the six trends will develop into this “perfect storm”? My personal opinion is that each of the
four scenarios has a significant chance of occurring. I would give them somewhat less than a
50/50 chance, but far greater than the chances of coming up with a straight flush in a hand of
poker, and probably better than your odds of drawing a full house. So, if you are a gambling
man, and like to take lots of risks, go ahead, and play the odds that nothing will happen.
It is also my opinion that the odds are quite high (better than 50/50) for running into major
disruptions along the lines of the perfect storm, and on a scale large enough that one would be-
nefit from the advice, skills, and supplies recommended and taught in this topic. In fact, given
the lack of effective action from the world's governments on changing the course of even one
of the six trends of this “perfect storm,” I would say those odds are close to 100 percent!
The fact that you are reading this topic means that you are significantly concerned for the
safety and welfare of yourself and your loved ones. Now that we have established the need to
be prepared, let's proceed to the next chapter so we can start learning the way to prepare!