Overpopulation

[Ddrmaster7]

A few years ago, approximately between July and October of 1999, it was recorded that 6 billion people currently live on this Earth. In today's day, there are over 6.5 billion people. That means in about 7 years, 500 million more people inhabit the planet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The expected carrying capacity of the planet, as estimated by scientists, is 8 billion people. What is carrying capacity? It is the number of people/animals/anything that can survive on or in a certain area with adequate resources to satisfy everyone's needs. So, the carrying capacity of this Earth, should trends continue, will be reached or exceeded by 2027. For most of us, it is our own lifetime that we will see this happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will soon find ourselves with limited natural resources. Food will be low, natural resources will be low, the water supply will be low. All the trash, waste, and "bodily excretions" (nicest way I can put it) will soon find themselves with nowhere to go. Everything here, and more, will cause detrimental effects on all of mankind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what are your thoughts? Do you think that more money should be spent to fund scientific research, possibly leading humans to inhabit the moon, Mars, or space stations? Do you think all hell will break loose, in a fight for survival? Genocide? I'm hoping that we will discover some way to live on a different planet or manmade structure in space. What about you?

[Giordano]

The rich governments will hog all the resources and we all die. Then the goverment will die since they dont know how to get the resources. :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:-w

[Zonorhc]

Given sufficient population density and strain on resources, the problem will fix itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relax. Some countries have aging populations that are going to shrink very quickly due to slowing birth rates to make up for those people who refuse to use contraception.

[Astralinre]

Given sufficient population density and strain on resources, the problem will fix itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relax. Some countries have aging populations that are going to shrink very quickly due to slowing birth rates to make up for those people who refuse to use contraception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exactly. Europe's poplulation is expected to shrink by what, 50%, over the next 50 years? Perhaps that figure's a bit high, but it'll be a pretty big decrease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I figure either war, disease or the return of Christ will keep us from overpopulating the earth.

[darkmage099]

The world as we know it will end on December 21, 2006. No need to worry. 8-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've done a lot of thinking, and I have finally concluded that Earth will fix itself. Some war or disease will come around. Something along the lines of that.

[Randomnameless]

Mother nature has fixed every problem in its history. Theoryaticaly that chances of our race living long enough and this planet supporting us long enough to elvole to the point we are now, is so small most cacultes can compute it. Just like gobal warming the problem will get fixed sooner or later. If it is not fixed we all die off and no one is left to care about the problem.

[Peter]

I don't want to seem like a pessimistic person or anything, but I sometimes view large natural disasters as a form of population control. Like the tsunami, earthquakes, etc. It's kind of odd that most of the largest natural disasters happen in areas with extreme poverty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I think that when the Earth "reaches capacity," at such point we as humans will have come up with some sort of methods to keep bodily excretions off the streets, etc. I honestly am not the slightest bit worried about that situation occurring.

[Elphinstone]

I don't want to seem like a pessimistic person or anything, but I sometimes view large natural disasters as a form of population control. Like the tsunami, earthquakes, etc. It's kind of odd that most of the largest natural disasters happen in areas with extreme poverty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I think that when the Earth "reaches capacity," at such point we as humans will have come up with some sort of methods to keep bodily excretions off the streets, etc. I honestly am not the slightest bit worried about that situation occurring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, i once thought that if a terrorist bombed one of those really big towers in Japan which they were planning to build, we would be down a couple 100 million. Of course, i condemned that thought to the back of my mind, but i've always thought about it occasionally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, China's population is expected to peak in a few years, and then go down. What we sohuld be worrying about is that time in between, before we can sluggishly turn teh human race around. We need to hold on until things can be changed. As for bases on Mars? Well, i always wanted to go to Mars! :thumbsup:

[Viktorkrum77]

 

Given sufficient population density and strain on resources, the problem will fix itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relax. Some countries have aging populations that are going to shrink very quickly due to slowing birth rates to make up for those people who refuse to use contraception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exactly. Europe's poplulation is expected to shrink by what, 50%, over the next 50 years? Perhaps that figure's a bit high, but it'll be a pretty big decrease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I figure either war, disease or the return of Christ will keep us from overpopulating the earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yep, Europe is the only continent (not including Antartica) that has a reducing population. The recent population census says that it has decreased by as much as a few 100 million per year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go Europe! \ But they'll have to +1 person, because I'm going to live there.

[supermonk]

I agree that natural disasters are population controls too.

 

 

 

I think eventually we'll be living on Mars and Moon and such, but definately not by the time you said the earth will be overpopulated. I don't believe that will happen anytime soon though.

[trapical]

Well the US has over 70% of its land undeveloped. That means no farms, no roads, no houses, no pastures. Nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got some time yet :wink:

[____]

Well the US has over 70% of its land undeveloped. That means no farms, no roads, no houses, no pastures. Nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got some time yet :wink:

Kinda like Australia where most of it is desert - that's why no one wants to live there.

[Viktorkrum77]

 

Well the US has over 70% of its land undeveloped. That means no farms, no roads, no houses, no pastures. Nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got some time yet :wink:

Kinda like Australia where most of it is desert - that's why no one wants to live there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or savannas.

[Notorious_Ice]

Maybe eventually new laws will be passed where couples are only allowed a maximum of 3 or so children.

[____]

Maybe eventually new laws will be passed where couples are only allowed a maximum of 3 or so children.

How about one or two.

[Militaris]

I suspect HIV and AIDS is going to be a control on population numbers in many of the third world and developing countries. One of the biggest problems with HIV as a population control is that it often allows its victims to 'reproduce' before killing them. It is simply not in the viruses best interest to kill its victims quickly and it does have the genetic variability not to do that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, I suspect planet earth would be able to support a much larger population then it already has. China with its high population is even exporting grain crops. Although I suspect that grain might be better left in china.

[BlueLancer]

 

 

Given sufficient population density and strain on resources, the problem will fix itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relax. Some countries have aging populations that are going to shrink very quickly due to slowing birth rates to make up for those people who refuse to use contraception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exactly. Europe's poplulation is expected to shrink by what, 50%, over the next 50 years? Perhaps that figure's a bit high, but it'll be a pretty big decrease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I figure either war, disease or the return of Christ will keep us from overpopulating the earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yep, Europe is the only continent (not including Antartica) that has a reducing population. The recent population census says that it has decreased by as much as a few 100 million per year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go Europe! \ But they'll have to +1 person, because I'm going to live there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haha, you must be quoting some misinformed numbers though. :lol: Europe has about 450 million people, if the population was decreasing that fast, by the time you'd move to Europe you'd be the only person alive in there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I actually checked it on the CIA world factbook, the population of the Europe (European Union, which includes almost all European countries) is actually growing by 0.15% per year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other countries like Russia have a decreasing population, not because of natural reasons but because people move away from poverty to western countries, especially the States.

[Notorious_Ice]

 

Maybe eventually new laws will be passed where couples are only allowed a maximum of 3 or so children.

How about one or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Im talking about laws passed around the world, in some other countries it is normal to have like 8 children, cutting it down to two or one would be kinda harsh.

[RebelAssassin]

China has a limit on one child i think

[menot]

yea china has a 1-child policy in urban areas. rural families can still have many children i believe.

[runemetsa]

Overpopulation is not overall earth, it's just focused on some areas (I.E china). For example, I live in a country size of Britain which has only 5,6 million people.

[One Too Far]

i had this discusion in clas 2 days ago and the teacher said that the estimatet number of people who could live on earth could go to 50 billion

[dangeresque]

i know wars are bad, but if you think about how many more people would be on earth if there was no wars lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but i think there will be another disease that kills like half of the worlds population again.

[One Too Far]

Maybe eventually new laws will be passed where couples are only allowed a maximum of 3 or so children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

they already do that in india and china with 1 a couple in china and 2 in india

[Zonorhc]

i know wars are bad, but if you think about how many more people would be on earth if there was no wars lol

 

 

 

I'd say there would be a lot less people to begin with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Considering that war is the most effective way for dominant ancient civilisations to collect supplies and impose their ideologies in such a way as to ensure a more efficient allocation of resources. Wars are also excellent catalysts for technological development.