The Pianka

Among some of the more interesting national stories, including immigration, the Moussaoui trial or even Rep. Cynthia McKinney's slugging of a member of the Capitol Police, there is the story of Dr. Eric R. Pianka.

A professor of zoology at the University of Texas at Austin, Pianka recently gave a lecture to the Texas Academy of Science, and it continues to both intrigue and anger those familiar with it.

Pianka believes, like many people, that the earth is overpopulated with humans. Considering our heavy use of Earth's non-renewable natural resources, Pianka argues, it is clear that a population surpassing 6 billion people is too great. Furthermore, "We've grown fat, apathetic and miserable" as Earth's condition has worsened, and this in itself has contributed to making it less healthy.

As we slouch toward the point at which our planet will reach its carrying capacity for humans, on the whole we remain unaware that a problem exists. More importantly, we fear and do not even acknowledge nature's best solution to this human problem: the elimination of nine out of every 10 humans via airborne Ebola.

Shocking?

Not to Pianka. In fact, he embraces the idea and is "looking forward to a huge collapse." It is in Pianka's opinion that airborne Ebola is the most deadly and efficient manner in which nature could kill 5.8 billion people-a necessary means of revitalizing Earth.

Many reading this might share my reaction to Pianka's message: Isn't this solution just a bit too harsh, as well as completely irrespective of the value of human life?

Pianka would respond, however, by stating that this is exactly what's wrong with us. "The biggest enemy we face is anthropocentricism," he claims, and this "is that common attitude that everything on this Earth was put here for [human] use."