What of human sustainability?

Sustainability - I have a dozen books on the topic.

Vital for a nation's survival.

First, why is it vital for any species; whether plant of animal?

In the 1920s, kind people gathered a group of local koalas to place on Quail Island in western Victoria.

There they would be safe from hunters wanting their fur.

There were enough gum trees on the island for their needs, until in time their numbers increased, doubling every three years.

They stripped the trees of their leaves, koalas' only food.

The trees died.

So did the koalas.

What of humans?

In my book Sailing Australia, available in all libraries, I deal with humans as part of nature.

The poet wrote "wider still and wider shall her bounds be set".

There is a limit that humans must have to survive.

The best study on our minimum population was done some years ago by four Canberra experts.

Their conclusion: "If we continue exporting food at our present rate, the maximum sustainable population would be 22 million.

"If we eat all the food we produce then the supportable population would be 60 million."

Experts call this the ecological footprint that measures the full impact of our species on the earth's finite resources.

Best estimates today are the human footprint is too large for the earth to sustain.

Hence wars, riots in megacities.

Australia is still safe, but with too many people in too few places.

Decentralisation will solve that.

This needs courageous premiers with brains.

No nation is an island.

The world urgently needs a Bill of Environmental Rights.

Dr Vincent Serventy Pearl Beach