Does it bother you at all that we are overpopulating the Earth?

[TimeLord]

We aren't overpopulating the Earth, we are cramming people into the same spaces.

Australian outback, African deserts, Arctic, Antarctic etc, if they were to build city's or something there then we would have no problem for another 300 years or so

 

[Logic 0]

I believe that one day natural selection will be reinstated and on that day there will be a lot of darwin awards to hand out.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Very much so. We are an ecological cancer. But what can I do about it? No point in worrying. Keep calm, carry on and recycle.

 

[Davroth]

Think globally, act locally.

Adopt!

 

[brunothepig]

The problem more comes down to distribution of resources than over-population. That and using space wisely, more crops, it's be nice to expand to space colonies, but obviously we need far better technology for that to be anymore than a scientific experiment. World, get on that.
Anyway, I'm doing my part by planning on not having any kids. I'm just a great, self-sacrificing guy... Not really.

 

[Alexlion]

As for britain our population is top heavy the baby boomers from after the war are getting old and we dont have enough young people being born to support them so no we are fine in fact most MEDC's are in this position. LEDC's arnt, china and indonesia etc are in a position due to poverty where people have large numbers of children in order to support them in their old age the population booms of course Indonesia is how to do a one child policy btw not like china (killings etc).

Basically we are fine our capacity to grow large numbers of crops from smaller patches of land has increased in step with our population we just need to share resources and implement the advances better e.g. GM famine relief to zambia being prevented by greenpeace nice going hope your "organic" food goes well with blood.

Google Norman Borlaug hes a hero of mine and the hope for the future he has saved millions and rightfully got the noble peace prize for it, as long as there are scientists like him around we are going to be fine.

 

[Laser Priest]

I've got the simplest solution.

Undead don't need food. Undead don't need massive living spaces. And for your benefit, the undead don't even feel pain (although we can implant those nerves if you really want them).

 

[Jakub324]

I think we should test people in the same way as we test adoptive parents to make sure we don't pass the wrong genes on. We have to make sure the world isn't made up solely of Sun readers in 20 years.

 

[Madara XIII]

I think most people aspire to have kids at some point in our life, but as innocent an aspiration it may be, its having a detrimental impact on the Earth and our living standards. Whether we like it or not, we are having more babies then dying, all the while trying to find ways to live longer, to have more kids...who is feeding all those children? I suppose our generation doesn't need to care that much because it isn't effecting us, but what about our grandchildren? We as the human race have destroyed quite a bit of what keeps us living, so I'm led to wonder at which point we will get so desperate to live that even the remainder of that is destroyed as well.

Anywho, how do you think we could go about resolving this issue and if your government initiated a single child policy tomorrow for example, would it bother you at all?

No it doesn't bother me mostly because every day people die and people are born. If it doesn't balance out then humans are more than capable of addressing this issue in well developed areas around the world.

And concerning the single child policy being enforced.....HA and again HA.
The government runs enough things in my life, I'll be damned if it puts a limit on my procreation methods and I've proven that I'm more than a capable parent.

So yeah the whole over-population thing is like Global Warming to me.

HUMANS CAN ADAPT. At the current rate (at least by last year) the earth is heating up at rate of 0.10 degrees Celcius every ten years. (That's just a projection)
Sure some wild life will be affected and it may bring about the extinction of certain species, but at this rate humans can still thrive.

Also my Source comes from a book known as THE WEATHER MAKERS by Tim Flannery

 

[Internet Kraken]

Anywho, how do you think we could go about resolving this issue and if your government initiated a single child policy tomorrow for example, would it bother you at all?

Yes it would bother me because overpopulation is not the issue. After all, the growth rate of the world is slowing down. The major problem our society currently faces is over-consumption, one that few people seem to really acknowledge. Many of us consume a horribly large amount of resources, far more than is actually necessary. If people were more conscious of the amount they consume over trivial things then I believe we wouldn't be wasting nearly as many resources. Overpopulation only becomes an issue when all those people squander resources in the same overly-extravagant lifestyle far to many people in first world countries enjoy.

Quite possibly one of the dumbest things I have seen recently. Birds don't use more materials than they need. Humans in general consume far more than is necessary. We are needlessly wasteful.

EDIT: Seriously people, most of the births in the world take place in third world countries. Yet these countries consume far less than us. The main problem is over-consumption. Don't pretend you're part of the solution just because you don't have children.

The Earth is perfectly capable to support a MUCH bigger population than now. That said, I personally think reproduction should be a privelege, not a right. You need a license to drive a car, but not to CREATE AND CARE FOR A SENTIENT BEING. That just doesn't sit right with me. Abortion shouldn't be legal; it should be compulsory. Unless you pass a test just as rigorious as the ones prospective adoptive parents have to pass.

So you want to let the government control reproduction, a basic human right, and let them determine who is fit to breed based on a criteria they create. Hooray for eugenics

Also forced abortion is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard.

 

[Exterminas]

Not to be mean or anything:

The western world is not overpopulating the world.
1,4 children don't do that.

 

[viranimus]

I hate the colonization argument in this equation. Seriously, if were unable to properly steward ourselves on this planet, do you really think we will do better on other planets?

If we colonize off world before learning how to exist within the boundaries of our environment we will basically become a race of galactic locusts. Sad thing is, at the rate were going, that seems fairly possible.

OT:

I think we should test people in the same way as we test adoptive parents to make sure we don't pass the wrong genes on. We have to make sure the world isn't made up solely of Sun readers in 20 years.

I pretty much agree, however, good luck getting anyone to consider it without having them call you a Nazi Eugenicist. Eugenics can be a powerful and honestly an imperative tool for proper population management and CAN be used effectively and with good intent without trying to breed a master race or setting in judgment of the world. But again, the Nazis really screwed the pooch on that one.

 

[ashiba27]

First I'd ask if your own standards of living have ever been effected negatively due to an increase in population? You make a valid point that humans are currently having a negative impact on the planet but I can't see overpopulation having a detrimental effect on living standards in the foreseeable future, especially in the Western world.

As for my government introducing a one child policy, I would consider that a serious breach of human rights. For this reason, I can't imagine any democratic government enforcing such a law. Without getting too politically minded I'd argue it was due to a lack of freedom of speech in China that led to the law being enforced in the first place. And if China has proved anything, it's that such a policy wouldn't work. On top of this (and maybe this is just my opinion), does being arrested for having more than one child not sound like madness?

If you are worried about humans destroying the whole world in order to maintain standards of living, then I would suggest you read some of Boserup's work. She puts forward a strong argument that if humans can keep inventing new ways to improve standards of life, when it comes to the crunch time they will have no trouble inventing ways to keep both the planet and humans alive.

... Just stick away from anything written by Malthus

 

[Me55enger]

Australian outback, African deserts, Arctic, Antarctic etc, if they were to build city's or something there then we would have no problem for another 300 years or so

There is one... potentially two unifying reason(s) why those three suggestions are entirely unfeasible.

Points for trying.

Population control is one idea, but resource distribution would be, at this point in time, a better method. only a few weeks ago the world population hit 7 billion. and we could care for that if world resources were better distributed. in an ideal world.

Which this isn't.

Population control will not happen in the western world because China used it. Simple.

 

[The Funslinger]

Yes, when I can't avoid thinking about it. Especially when I used to read the doctor who novels. There was one set in the 22nd century and even genetically engineered crops couldn't be distributed evenly. The one thing that makes me feel better is that Stephen Hawking said we need to colonize other worlds within the next 200 years, so that's the beginning of considering it a valid option.

 

[Maxtro]

I'd hate to seem racist, but over here in California, the people who have the most kids are the Mexicans and the African Americans.

They are generally low income and may even be receiving assistance from the government.

For whatever reason, they don't use birth control and just have a lot of kids.

So the people who have no business having a lot of kids, are the ones who are doing it.

 

[thiosk]

Populations in most western countries are declining. The only population growth in the west these days is from immigration. No joke.

The population growth is happening in the developing world. Enormous population growth.

Poor people make so many babies. Like it or not, "we" aren't overpopulating the earth, "they" are. Middle east, all of africa... its a mess of a baby boom over there.

I'd hate to seem racist, but over here in California, the people who have the most kids are the Mexicans and the African Americans.

They are generally low income and may even be receiving assistance from the government.

For whatever reason, they don't use birth control and just have a lot of kids.

So the people who have no business having a lot of kids, are the ones who are doing it.

I maintain that stating the fact that uneducated, low income minorities have proportionally more children is not racist.

 

[Madara XIII]

Yes, when I can't avoid thinking about it. Especially when I used to read the doctor who novels. There was one set in the 22nd century and even genetically engineered crops couldn't be distributed evenly. The one thing that makes me feel better is that Stephen Hawking said we need to colonize other worlds within the next 200 years, so that's the beginning of considering it a valid option.

I call forth the international protocol of DIBS ON SATURN!!!!

That's right bitches I got them rings