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CHAPTER 1
Eugene, Oregon 1 year ago
DARNELL PRICE FELT LIKE HE WAS LIVING TWO LIVES — one as a successful businessman and the other as an evangelist for the environment. His true passion was reducing the impact of humankind on the Earth. In his mind, the logic was irrefutable — planet Earth had finite resources and, therefore, a finite carrying capacity for the population of all species. If humankind was to continue to grow in number exponentially, we would eventually reach a point where a catastrophic correction was inevitable.
Perhaps we already had.
He hadn't always subscribed to this idea. His education in science and business had instilled mainstream knowledge and reasoning — more a belief, really — that modern technology would solve any and all problems encountered by society and shape the world accordingly for the better. But following a series of tragic, personal losses, his beliefs began to change.
Science taught that species evolved to adapt or perish; was mankind any different? Evolutionary adaptation was an extremely slow process of biological trial and error, requiring time — thousands of millennia.
The historical record demonstrated that time and again, species had successfully adapted to radical alterations of the environment. Far from stagnant, the Earth was subject to constant change, although those changes had occurred over eons. But Darnell was convinced this was no longer reality. The global population of humans had increased at an exponential pace over the previous centuries — a mere blink of the eye in geological perspective. And with that explosion of numbers came an unprecedented pace of change in the global environment.
Governments acted as if they could engineer solutions to disease, climate change, drought and famine. But they ignored the most fundamental reason for human-caused stresses to the environment: the sheer number of people inhabiting the planet.
Were people living in a state of denial? Was the human race doomed to suffer global disasters? Or would people wake up one morning suddenly realizing that the species had to adapt to a world of limited resources — that all individuals needed to self-regulate their numbers?
He concluded it was far better to gradually reduce the human population through voluntary measures rather than to suffer a sudden correction, whether it be through disease, famine, warfare, or other means. He'd felt the pain of suddenly losing loved ones; vibrant, youthful lives cut short prematurely. He didn't wish that on anyone.
He completed typing yet another article and posted it to several social media accounts. In his mid-fifties, he had a stocky build, not overweight but not lean either. He sported a short, graying beard that matched his hair color. His face was round, and he bore a striking resemblance to the actor Lawrence Fishburne.
Having completed his post, Darnell should have felt good, that he'd accomplished one more, albeit small, step toward changing the course of humanity. But he didn't.
Instead, he felt disillusioned. He'd lost count of the number of articles and commentaries he'd posted, always accompanied by a chorus of support from the usual sympathetic minds. But substantial changes never followed. Governments refused to implement serious policies to curb the number of children families could have. Even China had reversed its one-child policy.
Anthropogenic climate change, encroachment of human development upon unspoiled habitat, endangered species, over fishing, deforestation — these topics were still the subject of the domestic and global dialog, but the talk always ended without productive action.
It seemed that nearly everyone agreed we needed to change habits, to consume less, to act more responsibly. But the consensus was that someone else should do so first. The mentality was that there was still time to take corrective actions later. Eventually time would run out.
How can people be so stupid? he thought with a sigh. His phone rang. The display indicated an unknown number.
"This is Darnell," he greeted.
"Mr. Price. My name is Simon Ming. I run Utopian-Bio. Maybe you're familiar with us? We're also located in Eugene, so I guess we're neighbors. Anyway, we haven't met, but I'm a big fan of your blog."
Being a member of the entrepreneurial community in Eugene, Darnell was vaguely familiar with Utopian-Bio. He knew it was a startup company with fewer than 100 employees. The company mostly conducted research in molecular biology and genetic engineering. Rumor had it that funding came from private sources, and many speculated that the founder, a wealthy and mysterious molecular biologist by the name of Simon Ming, was the sole source of capital. It was further said that Ming was a genius, specializing in genetic engineering using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing process. Exactly what goal Utopian-Bio was working toward was the subject of yet more speculation. The entire corporate operations were heavily veiled in secrecy; a perk of being privately held.
Darnell was surprised. "You've read my postings on population control?"
"Yes, I find your arguments compelling."
"Well, unless enough people begin to pay attention and take action, it really doesn't matter what I write."
"Perhaps," Ming said, his tone suggesting he was holding something back.
"I keep trying to catalyze action, but no one really seems to care. The politicians say the right things but do nothing."
"What you are advocating makes sense. It's only logical."
"To you and me, but those who are actually in a position to make a difference don't act as if they really understand. You see, whether we are concerned about plastic nanoparticles polluting the oceans, or greenhouse gases altering weather patterns, or antibiotics polluting our water supplies — all are tied to a common root cause."
"You're referring to human population."
"Of course," Darnell said with exasperation. "I mean, sure, we need to recycle and conserve resources, especially when it comes to using energy. But that's only a Band-Aid. These efforts don't address the fundamental cause. It should be obvious even to a politician that if they want to reduce the impact of human-caused climate change the most direct route is to limit the number of people."
"I agree," Ming replied, his voice even.
Darnell snorted a humorless chuckle. "Environmentalists love me, and pretty much everyone else thinks I'm certifiable. I've even been accused of being a Nazi extremist advocating for global genocide."
"I don't think that, not at all. We have a lot in common. I'd like to meet you, if that's convenient, of course."
Not expecting such a direct reply, Darnell stammered. "Uh, yeah, sure. My schedule is open the rest of the week. Do you want to meet for coffee or lunch?"
"Actually, I think a more private setting is appropriate. I have a proposal I think you'll be interested in."
"Proposal? What do you have in mind?"
"Let's just say that I share your vision and would like to offer a pathway to achieving meaningful change. Would you be willing to meet me at my office, tomorrow at 4:00 pm? It's near the University of Oregon campus."
Intrigued, Darnell readily agreed. After the details were exchange and confirmed, the call ended. For the remainder of the day, he was consumed with speculation about what, exactly, Simon Ming had in mind.
* * *
The next day, promptly at 4:00 pm, Darnell enter the facilities leased by Utopian-Bio. It was a modern structure, built as part of a state-subsidized university-industry collaboration. Such collaborations were a popular mechanism for the state government to show that investment in higher education paid dividends, and it was highly regarded by faculty since it provided avenues to export their research into the private sector.
After signing in at the reception counter, he was led by a security guard to a large office on the top floor of the five-story building. The door was open, and the guard announced Darnell's presence.
"Please, come in Mr. Price," said the man rising from behind his desk. He was slim and not especially tall, with jet black hair cut very short on the sides and allowed to grow much longer on top. It was combed back without a part and held in place with gel. His chin sported a neatly-trimmed goatee, but otherwise his face was clean-shaven. He wore a dark gray suit and white shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, conveying a casual business attire more to be expected in a Silicon Valley boardroom rather than a small Oregon start-up. As he approached, he extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Simon Ming."
The guard closed the door and Simon motioned to a conference table at one end of the office. "Please, have a seat. Would you like coffee or tea?"
"No, thank you," replied Darnell. Although he was a poor judge of age, he surmised that Simon Ming was rather young to be leading a biotech company, even a small start-up company. His smooth facial features and tight skin suggested a man who was no more than 35 years of age.
"Thank you for taking time to meet me."
Darnell smiled. "I must confess, I know only a little about your company, and that's only what I've heard from other tech-business owners. But I gather Utopian-Bio is doing well?"
"Yes." Ming smiled. He was pleased that his guest had invested time and energy in conducting background research. It meant he was taking the meeting seriously. "We have made some remarkable advances in genetic engineering. Perhaps I can offer you a tour. I think you'll appreciate our achievements. From my research I know you have an education in medical engineering plus an MBA. But now you own and are the CEO of Cascade Aqua, a water bottling company. I'd imagine you receive a lot of criticism for using plastic bottles. That hardly fits with your pro-environment stance."
"I'm very proud of the fact that we use 100% recycled PET. My competitors use less than ten percent recycled plastic in their bottles. Sure, I pay more for my bottles, but it's the right thing to do."
"Plus, I'd imagine, it's a good marketing strategy. Still, switching from medical engineering to water bottling is a major transition. Some might even think it's a step backwards."
Darnell shrugged. "Medical devices can be a very lucrative business. I did well when I cashed out and decided to follow a different lifestyle. One that provided time for my environmental evangelism."
"I suspect there is more to your decision than wanting to pursue a different lifestyle. Perhaps family matters?"
Darnell stared back, his face expressionless.
Ming continued. "As I said, I did some research on you. It is only natural that I'd want to know something of your history before asking for this meeting."
"I have to say. Your approach certainly is unusually direct ... and intriguing. Had me thinking all night just what you wanted to talk about."
"Right to the point, I like that." Simon leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "I've read all of your posts, and I see a central theme. You believe the human population is too large, and still growing at an alarming rate."
"Yes, the facts are undeniable. But even worse is that the global population is completely unregulated. I mean, take for example wildlife populations such as deer, wolves, coyotes, cougars — all species native to Oregon and the Northwest. Historically, as people moved outward from cities, expanding development — roads, houses, businesses — the native species were pushed away. So we find ourselves with overlapping habitats. In some rare cases, such as deer and cougar, the animals adapt fairly well. But there is still conflict between people and animals, and the result is that our State Department of Fish and Game regulates the deer and cougar population through controlled hunts."
"That's a good analogy," Simon said, rubbing his goatee. "But surely you are not advocating for the government to take a similar approach to reducing human population."
"Of course not. It is unconscionable to think that killing people is the solution to human overpopulation."
"I agree."
Darnell leaned forward. "But my point is more than academic. As populations of any species exceed the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, the population must be managed, or it will face catastrophic corrections."
"And by 'catastrophic correction' you mean what?"
"I mean mass die outs."
"Like famine and disease?"
"Exactly," Darnell replied. "Pandemics are not relegated to the history of the Dark Ages. HIV has claimed 39 million lives; the Spanish influenza of 1918 killed 20 million. And more recently, the Asian flu of 1957 to 58 took 2 million lives. The Hong Kong flu of 1968 to 69 killed over a million.
"As sobering as those totals are, they pale in comparison to modern conflict. Warfare in the twentieth century has resulted in four to five times as many deaths, with estimates ranging as high as 230 million people. Famine and natural disasters account for many tens of millions of additional fatalities."
"It would seem Nature has a way of dealing with overpopulation."
"It sounds like you know something of the natural order?"
Simon nodded. "But I confess, until I began to follow your blog, I was comparatively ignorant of the topic."
"The problem is that science is making advances in quality of life at an ever-quickening pace. Modern medicine, especially with the power of genetic modification, makes it very unlikely that large numbers will ever again be killed by disease. And the probability of mass famine has been significantly reduced — thanks to advances in farming machinery and pest control. Warfare is still a threat, but even large-scale conflict, something engulfing a continent or a world war, appears to be relegated to a footnote in history rather than a real risk."
"I understand your point. Humankind has advanced its knowledge of science and technology to counteract the opposing natural forces that would normally be a check on population growth. But there is still a limit to the number of people we can feed, right? I mean, there still are natural checks and balances."
"Of course," Darnell said. "But as the global population continues to increase, we are pushing closer and closer to that hard limit. Where it is, and when do we reach it, I can't say. But think of the problem this way: imagine the human population is exactly at the carrying capacity of our ecosystem — the Earth — such that only a hundred thousand more people pushes us over the edge. What is the result?"
Simon clasped his hands, pausing in thought. "Well, conceptually, I think it means that everyone has to consume less of what is required to survive. But if we are already at the limit of what people must have to survive — food, air, water — then I guess the added stress with having less will result in some people dying."
Darnell leaned forward, pleased that his host had thought through the hypothetical exercise. "Many will die. And that will be the beginning of a cascade. Because when an organism, any organism, is stressed it is less able to ward off disease. When people are competing for resources, conflict ensues. So the inevitable result will be pandemics and global, catastrophic, war."
"You think it could lead to the extinction of humans?"
"No, but it would be a major population correction. Billions would die. It would represent pain and suffering of Biblical proportions."
"An interesting metaphor, since we are discussing science and not theology."
Darnell held Simon's gaze. "The outcome is inevitable. It is only a question of when."
"Unless we make a change — put mankind on the path to regulated population growth."
"Which probably means a negative global growth rate for several generations."
"Population reduction."
Darnell nodded. "Yes — in certain parts of the world, those areas where populations are growing much faster than elsewhere."
"I agree with your assessment." Simon paused, making certain he had Darnell's undivided attention. "And that leads me to my proposal. What would you say if I told you I know how we can effect change, real change?"
Darnell's eyes widened. This was exactly what he'd been working to achieve. Yet, Simon Ming was not a politician, nor did he possess any known connections with the power to influence national policy. "Okay. I guess this is where I ask what you have in mind?"
"A gentle correction where, as you said so elegantly, population growth is rampant."
"What type of correction?"
Simon shrugged. "If people will not voluntarily reign in procreation, then we have no choice but to implement a biological limit."
"Birth control has been tried in Africa and Southeast Asia. And it has failed."
"Yes, I know. Homo sapiens are like any other creature. We are hard-wired to reproduce. The drive to have sex is undeniable and virtually irresistible. If we are to succeed, we must take a different path. One where individual choice is eliminated. A path where the consequences of giving in to passion are not so severe."
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Lethal Savage"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Dave Edlund.
Excerpted by permission of Light Messages Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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