No it has occurred to me. Many times actually. And there are moments when I do worry about sustainability. But of course worrying is different from doing. Not sure what I can do just yet. :X
If everyone had 2 kids each and no more then we'd be sweet, but as it is it looks like we're set to level off at around 10 billion people. You can spout all the nonsense about how that's 'technically sustainable' but the more people there are the more resources being used and the greater strain there will be on the environment. There is already an alarming amount of deforestation continuously going on, and this planet doesn't need more people. More people means more disparity and more suffering. There's just no point there being more of us.
I say 1 billion is a good number of humans to have, a good mixture between large scale economic efficiency and sustainability.
People of lower (of a certain sort of) intelligence tend to breed faster. People with reasonable intelligence become jaded, and throw out the notion of getting people to control their numbers and see the big picture of the world. Then scramble desperately to find ways to feed X billion, and that number rises exponentially. Our societies strive to make people complacent, needy, and stupid, and culture plays a major role... Ecology plays a major role. I'm sorry, but someone has to say it, and I'm not going to tiptoe around the matter.
That exponential increase will not end, food production is a bandaid fix to the underlying symptom of willful human stupidity. Stupidity we as a society support as "freedoms", and even condone. We will keep sustaining the symptom until we collectively reach our carrying capacity. We'll succumb to conflict, widespread starvation, and disease. If we won't control our numbers, natural law will. It's that simple. We aren't exempt from natural law, and humans can't magically fix everything with the "wonder of that magical science stuff."
Sorry if that's blunt, but that's the real indisputable baseline. It will happen eventually, and for what it counts for, I'm plenty disgusted in the human race. Intelligent life that can't piece together that it needs to slow its population growth rate? Wow, I'm impressed. Please do tell me more about how amazing we are, and how we're probably the most intelligent thing this universe has ever even considered spawning. Truly riveting tale of arrogance, denial, and self betrayal.
I'm not normally one to pick out intelligence as a meaningful factor, but in this case, it definitely is the main one. It's a lack of a certain kind of intelligence, it's a choice, and it's a problem. Doing the same dumb thing when you have the knowledge and capacity to make an informed choice, is the definition of stupidity. Not intending any offense to people who are part of large families. But regardless of who you are, if you told me you plan to have a high number of kids, you'd get roughly the same response. We have "consciousness", so it's time we started holding one another to the standard of actually using it.
They have that amount because they're in such grinding poverty, unfortunately. Contraception is too expensive, more children = more care for the parents, high mortality rates, etc. It's argued that this isn't even the real problem, advances in modern medicine result in people surviving to increasingly older ages (within first world countries).
yes I know, but you simply won't solve overpopulation by having lots of kids @_@
also, studies show that families with higher education has avg less children, so ultimately: more education = less problems
...capitalist market reforms, lifted 680 billion people out of poverty...
That doesn't seem right.
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"Just remember that when you are falling, turn it into a dive." ~Wookiefoot
"Why isn’t my life like a situation comedy? Why don’t I have a bunch of friends with nothing better to do but drop by and instigate wacky adventures? Why aren’t my conversations peppered with spontaneous witticisms? Why don’t my friends demonstrate heartfelt concern for my well-being when I have problems?… I gotta get my life some writers." ~Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes
Honestly in my view I think it is. No offence to those who disagree. but from where I am (Australia) it is so hard finding jobs (its probably everywhere but i'm just stating my area) most jobs go to those who came off boats and rarely speak english. No offence, maybe I am racist but you can't tell me that it's one sided.
I also have this gut feeling that something in the future is going to wipe out half of the population or more, such as a 3rd world war, disease, disaster , etc. Who knows. But this thing has been going on for ages, the whole world is getting overpopulated then something disastrous happens and then leaves with less than half until people reproduce.
Please don't take offence.
I suppose you can put Western Europeans, east China, and much of Japan in there as well. Oh, and the middle eastern Gulf States. Most of those guys are in the .01%.
Because people can totally live in a frozen wasteland or a scorching desert.
Also, resources need to be taken into account.
If we take out the poles, theres still plenty of room in all most all of Eurasia, all of the America continents(except northern Canada), and with modern irrigation, you can make city's in the desert (Las Vegas, Dubai).
If we take out the poles, theres still plenty of room in all most all of Eurasia, all of the America continents(except northern Canada), and with modern irrigation, you can make city's in the desert (Las Vegas, Dubai).
And that costs money, research, and time. Many people would still refuse to relocate just because they are told "The world is being overpopulated, so you gotta go somewhere else."
Just imagine, you've been living with your family in the city for years, and someone comes up and tells you that you have to start a new life somewhere else. Nobody wants that. What incentives would you provide?
Just imagine, you've been living with your family in the city for years, and someone comes up and tells you that you have to start a new life somewhere else. Nobody wants that. What incentives would you provide?
IIRC Israel gave people money, free jobs, and houses to get them to live in the deserts and do stuff there.
Only a handful of humans actually matter; everyone else is JUST so MUCH chaff.
If someone wanted to solve overpopulation by reducing the current population, I would suggest that he start with himself.
I say 1 billion is a good number of humans to have, a good mixture between large scale economic efficiency and sustainability.
That exponential increase will not end, food production is a bandaid fix to the underlying symptom of willful human stupidity. Stupidity we as a society support as "freedoms", and even condone. We will keep sustaining the symptom until we collectively reach our carrying capacity. We'll succumb to conflict, widespread starvation, and disease. If we won't control our numbers, natural law will. It's that simple. We aren't exempt from natural law, and humans can't magically fix everything with the "wonder of that magical science stuff."
Sorry if that's blunt, but that's the real indisputable baseline. It will happen eventually, and for what it counts for, I'm plenty disgusted in the human race. Intelligent life that can't piece together that it needs to slow its population growth rate? Wow, I'm impressed. Please do tell me more about how amazing we are, and how we're probably the most intelligent thing this universe has ever even considered spawning. Truly riveting tale of arrogance, denial, and self betrayal.
I'm not normally one to pick out intelligence as a meaningful factor, but in this case, it definitely is the main one. It's a lack of a certain kind of intelligence, it's a choice, and it's a problem. Doing the same dumb thing when you have the knowledge and capacity to make an informed choice, is the definition of stupidity. Not intending any offense to people who are part of large families. But regardless of who you are, if you told me you plan to have a high number of kids, you'd get roughly the same response. We have "consciousness", so it's time we started holding one another to the standard of actually using it.
Food for thought, eh?
yes I know, but you simply won't solve overpopulation by having lots of kids @_@
also, studies show that families with higher education has avg less children, so ultimately: more education = less problems
"Just remember that when you are falling, turn it into a dive." ~Wookiefoot
"Why isn’t my life like a situation comedy? Why don’t I have a bunch of friends with nothing better to do but drop by and instigate wacky adventures? Why aren’t my conversations peppered with spontaneous witticisms? Why don’t my friends demonstrate heartfelt concern for my well-being when I have problems?… I gotta get my life some writers." ~Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes
I also have this gut feeling that something in the future is going to wipe out half of the population or more, such as a 3rd world war, disease, disaster , etc. Who knows. But this thing has been going on for ages, the whole world is getting overpopulated then something disastrous happens and then leaves with less than half until people reproduce.
Please don't take offence.
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Aww, I remember when I was an angsty teenager. Let me guess, you just read your first Ayn Rand book?
My Survival Journal
Nah, theres plenty of room.
Because people can totally live in a frozen wasteland or a scorching desert.
Also, resources need to be taken into account.
Poor deluded Chris.
How you so love your precious self-righteousness!
I suppose you can put Western Europeans, east China, and much of Japan in there as well. Oh, and the middle eastern Gulf States. Most of those guys are in the .01%.
http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f150/ ... Minecraft/
If we take out the poles, theres still plenty of room in all most all of Eurasia, all of the America continents(except northern Canada), and with modern irrigation, you can make city's in the desert (Las Vegas, Dubai).
And that costs money, research, and time. Many people would still refuse to relocate just because they are told "The world is being overpopulated, so you gotta go somewhere else."
Just imagine, you've been living with your family in the city for years, and someone comes up and tells you that you have to start a new life somewhere else. Nobody wants that. What incentives would you provide?
IIRC Israel gave people money, free jobs, and houses to get them to live in the deserts and do stuff there.