In reply to Ben Jones’ editorial “Considering cloning’s downfalls” (Thursday, Aug. 28, 1997), I am sympathetic with Ben’s concerns about world population and the carrying capacity of the earth.

However, while the growth of world population is a major problem, there is much evidence that its causes are not biological, but instead economic, political and social.

An excellent book on the subject, “World Hunger, Twelve Myths,” by Francis Moore Lapp‚ and Joseph Collins, points to poverty and lack of social security for the elderly as the major driving forces compelling people to have more children.

Birth rates have declined dramatically in those countries where the standard of living and the availability of health care has risen, and people feel secure about their future.

Under these circumstances, there is less need to have so many children working to support the family or available to care for parents in their old age.

The introduction of birth control measures, on the other hand, has not been successful in reducing overpopulation, unless there have also been increases in health care, standard of living and social security.

I am, therefore, not convinced that there is a serious link between technologies that allow infertile couples to have babies and world overpopulation, or that previously infertile couples who choose to have a baby using these technologies “are signing humankind’s death warrant.”

To have a baby is not only a strong natural desire, but also a transforming psychological and spiritual experience for many people.

Having a baby can be a source of great joy, a wonderful blessing and is something that brings fulfillment and meaning to one’s life.

It doesn’t make sense to rail against technologies that can bring this kind of miracle into people’s lives.

Trying to solve the world’s population problems by depriving people of the happiness of having a child seems no more humanitarian than allowing starvation, disease or warfare to do the job.

Perhaps Ben Jones’ compassion for the plight of the world would be better directed at working to remove the economic, political and social inequities which are the root causes of poverty worldwide.

Clark Ford

Associate Professor

Food science and human nutrition