[lotuseclat79]

What a population of 7 billion people means for the planet.

With global population expected to surpass 7 billion people this year, the staggering impact on the environment is hard to ignore

Demographers aren't known for their sense of humor, but the ones who work for the United Nations recently announced that the world's human population will hit 7 billion on Halloween this year. Since censuses and other surveys can scarcely justify such a precise calculation, it's tempting to imagine that the UN Population Division, the data shop that pinpointed the Day of 7 Billion, is hinting that we should all be afraid, be very afraid.

Given that our planet is under siege from climate change and since the current heat dome over the US has fried the corn fields for this years crops, how do we even begin to feed the current populations that are under stress let alone the burgeoning hoard that is increasing the population of this planet?

Also, since our planet is composed of a finite set of natural resources, and the question arises of what do we do when all or most of the natural resources become exhausted for our consumption?

And, given that there is only a certain amount of space in which to shelter, cloth, feed the ever increasing population - anyone got any constructive ideas?

-- Tom

[ekim68]

Wasn't it only twelve years ago that the world population topped the six billion mark? Birth control anyone? (Not to sound too simplistic.)

[lotuseclat79]

Originally Posted by ekim68

Wasn't it only twelve years ago that the world population topped the six billion mark? Birth control anyone? (Not to sound too simplistic.)

Hi Mike,

Yep, that's one constructive idea despite the means being under stress these days at the preteen level (), but for the industrialized nations population stability can be achieved via 2-children per family tactic in time. What about the rest of the world - its an epidemic!

-- Tom

[pyritechips]

But the Vatican deems condoms and any form of birth control some form of sin. It's time the catholic church and its antiquated belief system stop dictating to undeveloped countries that protecting oneself is wrong. AIDS and other STD's are a plague in places such as Africa. I've raised the issue of uncontrolled population growth as the main world issue before but most members poo-pooed the idea. Population density exacerbates territorial conflicts, food competition and a flow of refugees/colonization. Modern medicine has eliminated the need to have numerous children as a hedge against infantile mortality.

[buffoon]

Having numerous children is more of a hedge against possible loss of support in old age, in turn only effective if also employed as a hedge against infant mortality. It's a behavioral attitude that will only be overcome with gaining of prosperity. Without which modern medicine is not available to those parts of the world most known for their contribution to the population explosion. And not being available it won't be eliminating the (perceived) need for more children.

Poverty makes kids.

Ironic as that may seem at first glance, the second glance will show why.

Some figures, just for the heck of it:

Taking Africa as an example (currently suffering most from overpopulation as a presumed chief cause for its problems of famine, pestilence etc.) wiki shows it to have around 47,6 pct Christians in total and also (again wiki) 18,06 pct Protestant Christians in total. If we consider the difference of 29,54 pct non Protestants as totally Catholic, it would still credit the Vatican with an influence of less than upon a third of the overall population.

There's 70,46 pct where we have to blame it on someone else.

[buffoon]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

Hi Mike,

Yep, that's one constructive idea despite the means being under stress these days at the preteen level (), but for the industrialized nations population stability can be achieved via 2-children per family tactic in time. What about the rest of the world - its an epidemic!

-- Tom

You've answered your own question.

[pyritechips]

The catholic influence I stated is only one of several influences. Your hedge of support in old age is another.

But, that is still 1/3 (by your estimate) of 841,371,573 Africans*, which equals ~277,652,619 people that potentially do not think that protecting themselves and others is right. And it's not only a matter of population control; it's a matter of disease control. I think we can agree that lack of disease control can't be relied upon as a form of population control.

*source: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/pe...lation-density

[buffoon]

Originally Posted by pyritechips

The catholic influence I stated is only one of several influences. Your hedge of support in old age is another.

..........and poverty is the greatest.

But, that is still 1/3 (by your estimate) of 841,371,573 Africans*, which equals ~277,652,619 people that potentially do not think that protecting themselves and others is right. And it's not only a matter of population control; it's a matter of disease control. I think we can agree that lack of disease control can't be relied upon as a form of population control.

Oh, it can. If we pull out all medical help completely.

Highly unethical though.

Question is, are we qualified to talk ethics? http://forums.techguy.org/8010748-post4.html

[ekim68]

And whose ethics, too? I read something a while back that suggested the population would top out at 10 to 11 billion and never go any higher due to the dying rate compared to the renewal rate....I suspect that those speculations never considered the resources needed... I think we're going to see some big time famines and starving people too soon..

[buffoon]

soon?

famines

[ekim68]

Thanks Derek, that does bring a perspective....

[pyritechips]

It is no secret that the planet is a finite, closed system that can only support a finite population on finite resources. At what point does the burden of the unfed and unwashed masses impose its needs upon the privileged few and cause a failure of the artificially sustained population? (I think that makes sense. )

[ekim68]

In a way Jim, that's been the general story line of the collapse of earlier civilizations....Eventually there's degradation at every level....I wrote a song about it: "Blame Greed"....

[buffoon]

It's my guess that the point will be a different one altogether. It'll be reached when the mortality rate of the unfed and unwashed is no longer sufficient to prevent them from outbreeding (submerging) the privileged few who, for reasons of insufficient reproduction on their part, will have no one to man the gates, let alone the guns.

New cards then.

[buffoon]

Originally Posted by ekim68

In a way Jim, that's been the general story line of the collapse of earlier civilizations....Eventually there's degradation at every level....I wrote a song about it: "Blame Greed"....

Heck, first time round I read that as "blame Greece"