Overpopulation. Resources running out. What do we do about these things?

[Halceon]

We do nothing, because that isn't a problem.

But whatever, I vote for seasteading. That'll solve overpopulation and, if done well, will solve several political problems as well.

 

[holy_secret]

Legalize gay marriage. Seriously.
There's a reason there are so many homosexuals. It helps the overpopulation issue so well n
Hihi I'm so clever ^^

 

[starslasher]

You can fit every single human being on the planet earth in the city of los angeles, with room to spare.

I have heard something to that effect, but it was that you can fit the entire human population into an area the size of Texas.

 

[Drtfgf5]

Genocide?

 

[ralfy]

You can fit every single human being on the planet earth in the city of los angeles, with room to spare.

The problem isn't space but per capita resource consumption.

 

[For.I.Am.Mad]

Nope, I refuse to run around with 'The End is Near' etched in my skull all my life. First the Ozone, then global warming, now this.

Look, if it happens it happens. Goodbye humans and then you can all be happy and say 'I called it.'

 

[BoredDragon]

I'm sure someone has already said this, but I'm posting this clip just in case

 

[CosmicCommander]

The population explosion is finite. In developed countries, the birth rate is grinding to a halt. In developing countries, the rate is stabalizing to very sustainable rates.

Many scientists agree on this- as does the Economist. [http://www.economist.com/blogs/multimedia/2010/11/world_population]

Drop your stylish misanthropy and faux brutality, children. We don't need to kill shit.

 

[Zakarath]

Yeah, overpopulation is a myth.
...what I'm more concerned is the damage we're inflicting on the environment and the other species we share the planet with. And personally I couldn't be happier than if resources like oil and coal ran out. I'm just worried that when they start to run out, we'll tear the planet apart looking for the last dregs before we really transition away from them.

 

[Continuity]

Presumably a point of equilibrium will be reached, Resource usage will become mostly renewable and population will stabilise, western civilisation has already shown us that once you reach a certain degree of civilisation and wealth population not only stabilises but infact starts to decline. If it wasnt for immigration we would have negative population growth right now.

The question is how long is this going to take and what sort of crap will we get into in the mean time.

 

[Sinclair Solutions]

SPACE

Seriously, I want to see someone land on Mars in my life time

DID SOMEONE SAY SPACE?

EDIT: This picture is so incredible it has now become my new avatar. Now if you excuse me, I gotta go to SPACE.

 

[Madara XIII]

Soylent Green.

I didn't say it was a good idea.

Oh Charleton Heston how I love thee so

 

[Madara XIII]

Nope, I refuse to run around with 'The End is Near' etched in my skull all my life. First the Ozone, then global warming, now this.

Look, if it happens it happens. Goodbye humans and then you can all be happy and say 'I called it.'

Thank you. Getting tired of the BS Doomsday scenario myself. HUMANS can ADAPT. We're known for it.

 

[ralfy]

SNIP

Oh god not this question again.

Overpopulation and resource scarcity are not going to be a problem for a long time. We already have much of the means to replace 80% of the resources we currently consume and if the real need arises these means will be implemented by necessity.

Even with the exponential growth of the planets population, global overpopulation will not be an issue until at least 2050/2060 by which point it is highly likely that we will have the means and the technology to deal with a larger population. Once again innovation will be born from necessity just like it always has been.

Unfortunately the world isn't a fair place and yes some will suffer, but get these notions of a global crisis or some sort of Armageddon out of your head.

And with all these comments about the Chinese birth control measures, the only reason China suffered from massive populations was because of the previous (massively flawed) policies of Mao Zedong who believed by making China the most populace country in the world it would become the most powerful (Communist tend to lack simple logic). It isn't an issue that will arrive on a global scale.

EDIT: Sorry, I appreciate you didn't 'ask this question again' and that someone just revived the dead thread, the answer is still valid and correct though

Global energy demand has been exceeding oil production the past five years:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/06/oil-production-and-consumption

and we've been meeting the deficit by using biofuels and other energy sources, which is why prices for food and other resources have been going up. Combine that with the fact that oil discoveries peaked in 1964, the EROEI for other sources of energy is low, drops in fish stocks and increasing top soil destruction, more credit crunches due to debt-driven economies, and long-term effects of climate change and pollution, and we have to consider the possibility that what you think won't happen has been happening.