"Four Changes"

In Gary Snyder’s “Four Changes,” he scrutinizes the four areas of human living that need attention and change. Population, pollution, consumption, and transformation are controlled and are the responsibility of humans. As of 1970, the humans are not in control and are behaving very irresponsibly on mother Earth.

In section one of “Four Changes,” Snyder addresses population. Simply put there are too many humans on this Earth and something needs to be done. In 1970, the world’s population was 3,707,921,742 compared to 2007 with a population of 6,605,046,992. Three billion more people, in thirty years, on the same planet, that is definite expansion. When I look at these statistics, it does make me wonder how our planet supports itself and give credit to Snyder’s proposal for population control.

On the emotional side, I think that the gift of creating life is precious and an important necessity. With the gift of procreation also comes responsibility that has changed in our modern times. A hundred years ago, having a large family was sometimes a necessity such as running family owned businesses and farms but this landscaped has changed now and is not necessarily needed. Having many children can seem indulgent to others but to others it an ingrain love of family. I cannot judge others in that area of choice. On a social level, I do judge those who are heedless of the responsibility of having children. Many do so with no thought to being financially and emotionally prepared to do so. As of 2003, five million families were on welfare, this is not to say each case does not have it is own circumstances but the key word is families. Many have been caught in the vicious cycle of welfare and having more children means more money. Knowing that the government will always take care of a person’s offspring is a handicapping way at looking at having children.
The teenage pregnancy rate in this country is at its lowest level in 30 years, down 36% since its peak in 1990. So, socially we as a nation are improving as far as responsibility towards pregnancy and education. In the end, economically, I tend to side with Snyder’s proposal of removing “income tax deductions for more than two children” and a scale that forces “lower income families” to be “careful too.”