Overpopulation

[Ian4]

some say global warming is the biggest threat to life as we know it. i disagree. IMO overpopulation is the real problem.

some stats:
if current growth rates continue, it is expected the world's population will double to 14 billion by 2069.
if current growth rates continue, it is expected australia's population will double to 45 million by 2056.
if current growth rates continue, it is expected melbourne's population will overtake sydney by 2028.

so is this population growth sustainable? do you believe it is a major issue when it comes to the future of our civilisation? if so, what can we do reduce the growth to more sustainable levels? or if we let the growth trends continue, what can we do to ensure mankind survives?

 

[poppa x]

I vote yes.
Global Warming is produced by humans (so they tell me), so more humans means more GW.
More mouths to feed = more famines.
More famines likely means more wars.
Imagine the hordes of Indians and Chinese in 2069 eyeing off all of Australia's vacant land.
OTH, how many Richmond Members by 2028?

You've opened a can of worms Ian.

 

[Tigers of Old]

World needs another plague.

 

[evo]

I predict within the next 20 or 30 years, rad students will be wearing Malthus t-shirts the way they used to wear Che.

 

[AngryAnt]

This assumes growth rates are constant.

Read the UN projections - there are a number of different scenarios and the constant growth rate is only one possibility.

 

[AngryAnt]

Imagine the hordes of Indians and Chinese in 2069 eyeing off all of Australia's vacant land.
OTH, how many Richmond Members by 2028?

Yep, living in the arid, salty and hot places in where not much grows and there isn't any water in central Australia is real attractive to our Asian neighbours.

This is why even today people are willing to give up attractive beachside locations in temperate regions to go live in tents in the Simpson desert.

It's almost as attractive as supporting Richmond for the next 15 years.

 

[evo]

One thing we can be sure of is that it will be sorted out one way or another.

Some people think we'll get to somewhere around 15-17B then plateau after that.

A bit like peak oil, it's not really worth losing sleep about. That is unless you seriously want a world government to institute a China-like 'one child policy'.

 

[Rosy]

so is this population growth sustainable?

If that was the only factor probably not. I reckon there would be a massive increase in natural attrition.

or if we let the growth trends continue, what can we do to ensure mankind survives?

Control global warming.

 

[evo]

Hang on to the ponderosa Rosy. Arable land will be selling at a premium in 25 or so years!

 

[Azza]

One of the significant factors in reducing 3rd World population growth is educating women.

http://www.population.org.au/articles/2011-09-16/media-release-reduce-population-growth-educate-girls

Sponsor a girl through World Vision.

 

[tigergollywog]

I predict within the next 20 or 30 years, rad students will be wearing Malthus t-shirts the way they used to wear Che.

wont catch me in a mick malthouse T-shirt. Not unless he returns to his roots and coaches a tiger flag.

I'm not worried about overpopulation because Ive got a fair bit of faith in ecology. We hit 8 billion or so and 7.5 bill bleed from the arse and compost.

 

[Liverpool]

One of the significant factors in reducing 3rd World population growth is educating women.

http://www.population.org.au/articles/2011-09-16/media-release-reduce-population-growth-educate-girls

Sponsor a girl through World Vision.

Nice theory but won't happen in any of our lifetimes or even our children's lifetimes.

Culture and religion will always override logic in these cases, especially third-world countries.

 

[AngryAnt]

Culture and religion will always override logic in these cases, especially third-world countries.

Your own culture and religion appear to be overriding what little grasp on logic you have.

There is a myriad of statistical data and scientific empirical evidence that shows that where education levels increase, fertility declines.

http://csde.washington.edu/~scurran/files/readings/May12/Why%20Does%20Education%20Lead%20to%20Lower%20Fertility.pdf

http://econdse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/JD-Fertility-Education-and-Development-Further-Evidence-from-India.pdf

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~carr/DCarr_Publications/Carr_Pan_AAGpop.sp.gr.competition02.pdf

http://econdse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/JD-Fertility-Education-and-Development-Further-Evidence-from-India.pdf


Of course, this empirical evidence conflicts with your own religious and cultural belief that the "Third World" is full of ignorant brown people whose culture and religion forces them to pump out 10 kids and God Forbid we should try and help these people in any way.

 

[Azza]

Nice theory but won't happen in any of our lifetimes or even our children's lifetimes.

Culture and religion will always override logic in these cases, especially third-world countries.

Yeah. Why bother.

 

[Disco08]

Livers has never really understood the significance of education.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Could this kill off the 911 thread?

 

[Ian4]

Could this kill off the 911 thread?

this raises a question: if you click on the 'show new replies to your posts' link, it brings up any new post to any thread you have posted in previously. my question is... is there any way you can remove this function for any threads you're not interested in reading anymore? the 911 thread is the prime example...

 

[Soda]

I have little doubt a superbug will wipe out a few billion at some stage in the next 50 years

 

[Disco08]

this raises a question: if you click on the 'show new replies to your posts' link, it brings up any new post to any thread you have posted in previously. my question is... is there any way you can remove this function for any threads you're not interested in reading anymore? the 911 thread is the prime example...

Maybe you could delete any posts you made there.

 

[Liverpool]

Your own culture and religion appear to be overriding what little grasp on logic you have.

There is a myriad of statistical data and scientific empirical evidence that shows that where education levels increase, fertility declines.

http://csde.washington.edu/~scurran/files/readings/May12/Why%20Does%20Education%20Lead%20to%20Lower%20Fertility.pdf

http://econdse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/JD-Fertility-Education-and-Development-Further-Evidence-from-India.pdf

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~carr/DCarr_Publications/Carr_Pan_AAGpop.sp.gr.competition02.pdf

http://econdse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/JD-Fertility-Education-and-Development-Further-Evidence-from-India.pdf


Of course, this empirical evidence conflicts with your own religious and cultural belief that the "Third World" is full of ignorant brown people whose culture and religion forces them to pump out 10 kids and God Forbid we should try and help these people in any way.

I'm not disagreeing with the logic put forward about education lowering fertility...but we are talking about something that will take generations, if ever.

We're talking about countries where child soldiers and witch doctors are the norm.

We're talking about countries that barely have food to feed kids let alone have schools and an education system to teach people to read and write.

It was only 30 years or so ago here that it was uncommon for females to even go to university and many of our own parents (especially someone like me, in my late 30s) got married quite young and the father was the one who worked and Mum was Mum.
Its only as more females went to university that we have seen people get married older and have kids older as well.

African nations are a long way off this yet.....a looooong way.