Overpopulation

[e2density]

TL;DR is in bold
Just a quick insight before I go to bed (as I should have done an hour ago...)
Learned a few things about overpopulation...and was thinking of the odds, along with the countries.

Japan has too much older people and not enough people for the younger workforce, not enough people working for Social Security for older people, which is also going to be our problem (the US) with Baby Boomers, except with Japan it's like that times five.

China started the controversial 1 child per family law. I personally think that isn't extreme enough, but then again humans have the right to reproduce if they want.

America (as mentioned earlier) is going to have too many of the Baby Boomers retiring and not enough people in the work force to cover for them.

Aaaaaand, to top that off, we are very likely to reach 9 billion people by 2050...a very scary thought. We may get to the point where the earth's resources are simply exhausted. There is a large chance humans may exceed the carrying capacity of our Earth and exhaust the resources, have a mass die off of a LOT of people (3-6 billion) and leave our resources unable to replenish themselves.

Here's a little chart to show where we came from... I just now realized how extreme this issue may be. So my fellow Escapists, what are your thoughts? Ideas? Possible Solutions? I personally think we should stress birth control a lot more and restrict the amount of children any family can have. It may sound very harsh, but it is completely necessary in my opinion.

 

[Yureina]

In before suggestions relating to nuclear war or other forms of mass murder.

Honestly? I don't know. I think that birth control policies are a bit too oppressive, but something obviously needs to be done at some point. Maybe we should just start sending people to the moon or something... Who knows?

 

[Sprogus]

Limit the age of the elderly. It really isn't natural that we are living to be 90 years old these days. Plus older people just put a strain on a lot of resources both physically and socially. It's just my opinion. I don't actually play on going around putting down old people.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

If science says anything it's that we are a few steps away from colonizing Mars and when that happens we all move there.

 

[The_Healer]

You should compare that graph to a graph of the average yield of farming land per square meter.

Turns out, if we keep improving our farming techniques and technologies, we will never run out of food.

 

[Hashime]

Yes, a damn good one, Quite simply, in countries without any population control use a chemical or biological agent to sterilize 60-70% or so of the population, in ones with control only sterilize 20-30% and encourage education.
Right now, due to religious. monetary, political reasons people will not stop having babies in areas that cannot take that many people. Simple, brutal, effective.

 

[Hashime]

Limit the age of the elderly. It really isn't natural that we are living to be 90 years old these days. Plus older people just put a strain on a lot of resources both physically and socially. It's just my opinion. I don't actually play on going around putting down old people.

Soilent Green!

 

[Kollega]

So my fellow Escapists, what are your thoughts? Ideas? Possible Solutions?

Go colonize space. Other planets are underrated. Isn't that kind of obvious?

In before suggestions relating to nuclear war or other forms of mass murder.

At times, people here with such "ideas" make me lose my faith in humanity. Isn't it ironic?

 

[Yureina]

In before suggestions relating to nuclear war or other forms of mass murder.

At times, people here with such "ideas" make me lose my faith in humanity. Isn't it ironic?

Indeed, but you know that someone is thinking about it as a solution. The sad thing is that if this keeps up for another century, it may actually be the quickest and best solution we would have. I hope I don't live to see it.

 

[Sprogus]

Limit the age of the elderly. It really isn't natural that we are living to be 90 years old these days. Plus older people just put a strain on a lot of resources both physically and socially. It's just my opinion. I don't actually play on going around putting down old people.

Soilent Green!

Nothing like old people for breakfast.

 

[Souplex]

We are an endangered species because there are too many of us, and we keep making more.[HEADING=1]Stop making more![/HEADING] Some simple math. If on average every human being consumes X, than X times our population is our consumption. Everything would be cheaper due to more resources and the supply/demand ratio taking a major dip on the demand end if we were to reduce our population. You can apply the above math to any aspect of humanity.

 

[Omikron009]

Colonize other planets, look for more efficient energy sources (fusion anyone?) impose limits on the number of children people can have, and so forth. There are so many things we could be doing that I couldn't possibly mention them all. I've been thinking about things like this lately, and the most reassuring thing I can think of is that I'll hopefully be dead before this happens.

 

[ottenni]

I propose we build giant sky cities complete with fields for crops and what not. Not because it would be practical, but because it would be awesome.

And if it happens i called it.

 

[AC Medina]

Limit the age of the elderly. It really isn't natural that we are living to be 90 years old these days. Plus older people just put a strain on a lot of resources both physically and socially. It's just my opinion. I don't actually play on going around putting down old people.

This is a big part of the solution, though. Not "death panels" or random euthanasia (though euthanasia for good reasons should, I think, certainly be legal and acceptable), but a transformation in medicine that leads to an increased focus on improving quality of life, as opposed to merely lengthening life or, as is too often the case, staving off death by any means necessary.

The other part of the solution is abolishing religion so people in the third world stop thinking they will go to hell for using a condom. Here's hoping.

 

[LockeDown]

According to a sociological textbook I was assigned for one of my courses a semester or two ago, the Earth's population has actually plateaued. This means that this rapid growth in industrialized and post-industrialized nations is being offset by those countries afflicted by famine, natural disaster, and perpetual war.

The planet is equalizing itself, don't panic. The Earth can only realistically sustain X number of people on it, and when we cross over that threshold and resources begin to wear thin, war will break out and lower the population again.

It's grim and gruesome, but it's true, for the most part.

 

[Hashime]

If science says anything it's that we are a few steps away from colonizing Mars and when that happens we all move there.

If you look at doubling time and population growth, you realize populations grow exponentially. If a planet can hold 2 billion people, and the doubling time is 22 years, the planet will be 1/4 of the way full 44 years before doom, something that look innocent, 22 years from doom it will be half full, no problem right? the population would have more than enough resources, food etc. Then bam, 22 years and the planet is full, but it is okay, we have mars and 2 other planets! right? suppose mars and the other 2 planets hold 2 billion each, after 22 years mars is full, and then after another 22 all of the planets are full. It is scary stuff.

 

[ArcNitemare]

I agree with the Reduce Breeding idea.Seriously we breed worse then rabbits and I bet more then 40% will never give back what they take in resources :/.

 

[Marine Mike]

Stop worrying about it. We humans give ourselves too much credit as to our impact on Earth. The planet is like a self-regulating organism, if human numbers become too great to sustain itself then we either have the option of spreading to a new habitat to support the population or experience some sort of catastrophe that will bring our numbers back down to a manageable size. Its how Nature works, and no matter how hard we try we will never be above its laws.

 

[joshthor]

Yes, a damn good one, Quite simply, in countries without any population control use a chemical or biological agent to sterilize 60-70% or so of the population, in ones with control only sterilize 20-30% and encourage education.
Right now, due to religious. monetary, political reasons people will not stop having babies in areas that cannot take that many people. Simple, brutal, effective.

that is 110% sociopathic. it goes completely against human nature. your acting like only religious people want to have kids. its part of human life. we have a instictual primative urge to have kids, to reproduce.



btw: it sounds alot like the gynophage in mass effect.