HUMAN ECOLOGY views the biological, environmental, demographic, and technical conditions of the life of any people as an interrelated series of determinants of form and function in human cultures and social systems. It recognizes that group behaviour is dependent upon resources and associated skills and upon a body of emotionally charged beliefs; these together give rise to a system of social structures. According to a study conducted by the Center for the Study of Sustainable Development, published in Environmental Research (July 2017), an American family who chooses to have one less child provides the same level of reduction in Co2 emissions as 684 adolescents who decide to recycle their waste for the rest of their lives. In Europe, Western politicians are proposing restrictive birth rate measures to reduce “demographic pollution” and unequivocally condemn countries which advocate ambitious family policies.

Fear of overpopulation and starvation maintained by generations of scientists (from Malthus to René Dumont or the American biologist Paul Ehrlich …), fear of climate change, questioning of a consumerist economic model, all these factors point to the man as the main actor in its destruction. The downgrading of humans in the hierarchy of species reaches its climax in anti-species movements such as veganism or transhumanism.

The struggle of the species seems engaged, inevitably leading to a change in law and morality. The insights of demographers, economists, sociologists and philosophers are expected to understand what these phenomena reveal and to reflect on their consequences on the place of the unborn child, especially in the West.

To understand what these phenomena reveal and reflect on their consequences on the place of the unborn child, especially in the West, the European cultural platform One of Us asked for the clarification of Prof. Gérard-François Dumont, economist and demographer, who will give a communication, followed by a debate, during the webinar on December 11.

 

PROGRAM

17h00 : Introduction by Thierry de La Villejégu and the host Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Member of the European Parliament at the European Conservative and Reformist group, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

17h15 : Introduction of the topic and the speaker, by Rémi Brague, member of the Institut de France

17h20 : Communication by Pr. Gérard-François Dumont : “To save the planet, children are the problem or the solution ?”

17h45 : Jaime Major Oreja,  President of the One of Us Federation : “Demographic challenges in Europe”

17h55 : Debate, with Guillaume Bernard (France), Pr. Christian FREI (Germany), Alejandro Macarron (Spain) , Schanda Tamás János (Hungary)

18h25 : Written Questions and answer

18h50 : Conclusions, by Jaime Mayor Oreja and Thierry de la Villejégu

19h00 : End