Horizon: Too Many People
Discussion
I only caught the end of it so I don't know if it was covered but imagine how many extra people would be around today were it not for recent events like WWI, WWII, Stalin's madness, Mao's massacres and Hitler's genocide. Let along the Influenza epidemic of 1919, then add the people who died from the Black Death (killed between 30-60% of Europeans).
All those lost generations. Not that we need a new disease or world war but where would we be today with a massively increased population? Food shortages, housing shortages? Or could the extra population over the years have created their own gradual solutions to overcrowding and food shortages by using their brains and invention, without the knee-jerk reactions of modern day mentalists and doom mongers?
All those lost generations. Not that we need a new disease or world war but where would we be today with a massively increased population? Food shortages, housing shortages? Or could the extra population over the years have created their own gradual solutions to overcrowding and food shortages by using their brains and invention, without the knee-jerk reactions of modern day mentalists and doom mongers?
The program was a missed opportunity; too many topics highlighted but not enough depth. Or maybe that was the point of it... 
To eke the maximum out of the Earth will require a World Government or at the most three governments; Americas, 'Europe' inc. Middle East and 'Everywhere Else' with tasks being allocated where they are best served. Chances of that are remote at best.
As it stands I think the 'Western World' will forge forwards and the 'Third World' will continue on in the way it seemingly always has.
To eke the maximum out of the Earth will require a World Government or at the most three governments; Americas, 'Europe' inc. Middle East and 'Everywhere Else' with tasks being allocated where they are best served. Chances of that are remote at best.
As it stands I think the 'Western World' will forge forwards and the 'Third World' will continue on in the way it seemingly always has.
I was disappointed that it didn't show any of the technology that people are attempting to develop to solve these problems.
For example test-tube pork:
http://www.sphere.com/article/scientists-create-la...
Their predictions seem to be based on technology coming to a standstill while we breed for the next fifty years.
For example test-tube pork:
http://www.sphere.com/article/scientists-create-la...
Their predictions seem to be based on technology coming to a standstill while we breed for the next fifty years.
FourWheelDrift said:
I only caught the end of it so I don't know if it was covered but imagine how many extra people would be around today were it not for recent events like WWI, WWII, Stalin's madness, Mao's massacres and Hitler's genocide. Let along the Influenza epidemic of 1919, then add the people who died from the Black Death (killed between 30-60% of Europeans).
All those lost generations. Not that we need a new disease or world war but where would we be today with a massively increased population? Food shortages, housing shortages? Or could the extra population over the years have created their own gradual solutions to overcrowding and food shortages by using their brains and invention, without the knee-jerk reactions of modern day mentalists and doom mongers?
a lot less people would be here but for the wars. As a result of the wars there was a massive technological shift and a requirement to basically rebuild and breed. We just stopped breeding. Without the wars we woulds still be fairly set in our waysAll those lost generations. Not that we need a new disease or world war but where would we be today with a massively increased population? Food shortages, housing shortages? Or could the extra population over the years have created their own gradual solutions to overcrowding and food shortages by using their brains and invention, without the knee-jerk reactions of modern day mentalists and doom mongers?
It was an eye-opening program, especially when they made the point that we are using 50% of the worlds available freshwater supply already.
When the populations of countries like India and China start having similar wants and needs to us in the West, then we will see massive problems over resources.
My one comment about the water problem was "That's about the only time I'll ever be grateful for the amount of rain we have in Scotland"...
Unless we have another leap in technology, then I fear that things might get ugly around the world before technology manages to forge ahead and solve the current issues.
The sooner Nuclear fusion comes along, the better.
I feel a storm a brewin' Pa.
When the populations of countries like India and China start having similar wants and needs to us in the West, then we will see massive problems over resources.
My one comment about the water problem was "That's about the only time I'll ever be grateful for the amount of rain we have in Scotland"...
Unless we have another leap in technology, then I fear that things might get ugly around the world before technology manages to forge ahead and solve the current issues.
The sooner Nuclear fusion comes along, the better.
I feel a storm a brewin' Pa.
IforB said:
It was an eye-opening program, especially when they made the point that we are using 50% of the worlds available freshwater supply already.
When the populations of countries like India and China start having similar wants and needs to us in the West, then we will see massive problems over resources.
My one comment about the water problem was "That's about the only time I'll ever be grateful for the amount of rain we have in Scotland"...
Unless we have another leap in technology, then I fear that things might get ugly around the world before technology manages to forge ahead and solve the current issues.
The sooner Nuclear fusion comes along, the better.
I feel a storm a brewin' Pa.
unfortunately these "3rd world" states are now nuclear, this could prove very interesting. Hopefully we will move away from our oil dependancies and we are, as it stands, in a very fertile part of the world but we lack gas. There is no way the west could afford a war with these states as they are simply too big and we too dependant on them.When the populations of countries like India and China start having similar wants and needs to us in the West, then we will see massive problems over resources.
My one comment about the water problem was "That's about the only time I'll ever be grateful for the amount of rain we have in Scotland"...
Unless we have another leap in technology, then I fear that things might get ugly around the world before technology manages to forge ahead and solve the current issues.
The sooner Nuclear fusion comes along, the better.
I feel a storm a brewin' Pa.
stigmundfreud said:
IforB said:
It was an eye-opening program, especially when they made the point that we are using 50% of the worlds available freshwater supply already.
When the populations of countries like India and China start having similar wants and needs to us in the West, then we will see massive problems over resources.
My one comment about the water problem was "That's about the only time I'll ever be grateful for the amount of rain we have in Scotland"...
Unless we have another leap in technology, then I fear that things might get ugly around the world before technology manages to forge ahead and solve the current issues.
The sooner Nuclear fusion comes along, the better.
I feel a storm a brewin' Pa.
unfortunately these "3rd world" states are now nuclear, this could prove very interesting. Hopefully we will move away from our oil dependancies and we are, as it stands, in a very fertile part of the world but we lack gas. There is no way the west could afford a war with these states as they are simply too big and we too dependant on them.When the populations of countries like India and China start having similar wants and needs to us in the West, then we will see massive problems over resources.
My one comment about the water problem was "That's about the only time I'll ever be grateful for the amount of rain we have in Scotland"...
Unless we have another leap in technology, then I fear that things might get ugly around the world before technology manages to forge ahead and solve the current issues.
The sooner Nuclear fusion comes along, the better.
I feel a storm a brewin' Pa.
I think I might start digging.
But I thought the problem is that the third world is breeding?
The head of the IPCC was on the telly tonight saying that the problem is that countries like Bangladesh now quite reasonably want all the things that the west have.
Perhaps he's right.
I thought in the West we had overpopulation and mass migration to Europe, and that resulted in a world war. Everyone said never again, and the population of Europe advanced technologically, but population grew at a reduced rate.
In India, the empire ended, and the population carried on rising at a massive rate.
FWIW, I just looked it up, and over the last ten years, the Population in the UK, rose by just under 2 million. In India for the last ten years, it's something like 140 million.
The earth has limited resources, and as far as I can see, those countries that have a lower rate of population growth, have a better standard of living.
It should not be that such countries can hold the world to ransom in this way.
Note that on the India graph one vertical square, is worth almost double the full height of the UK graph.
In equivalent terms the slope of the India graph superimposed on the UK graph is more or less vertical.
The head of the IPCC was on the telly tonight saying that the problem is that countries like Bangladesh now quite reasonably want all the things that the west have.
Perhaps he's right.
I thought in the West we had overpopulation and mass migration to Europe, and that resulted in a world war. Everyone said never again, and the population of Europe advanced technologically, but population grew at a reduced rate.
In India, the empire ended, and the population carried on rising at a massive rate.
FWIW, I just looked it up, and over the last ten years, the Population in the UK, rose by just under 2 million. In India for the last ten years, it's something like 140 million.
The earth has limited resources, and as far as I can see, those countries that have a lower rate of population growth, have a better standard of living.
It should not be that such countries can hold the world to ransom in this way.
Note that on the India graph one vertical square, is worth almost double the full height of the UK graph.
In equivalent terms the slope of the India graph superimposed on the UK graph is more or less vertical.
Edited by dilbert on Thursday 10th December 02:15
See that dot in the palm of your hand which is now flashing red! Time for Carousel.
Soylent Green is another option.
Simply too many people on planet to be sustainable and getting worse.
It probably won't come to the real crunch for another 50 years or so though when global conflict over resources kills off a goodly number, well they starve anyway.
Soylent Green is another option.
Simply too many people on planet to be sustainable and getting worse.
It probably won't come to the real crunch for another 50 years or so though when global conflict over resources kills off a goodly number, well they starve anyway.
Frankeh said:
Eric Mc said:
Dilbert - which world war was caused by overpopulation and mass immigration?
Hitler rolled dice to see which race to get rid of. And that's a fact. You could claim that one of the Nazi tennets for the occupation of Eastern Europe and the extermination of the Jews and the "untermenschen" was to clear populations out of the way to create "lebenschraum" for an expanded German population - but that was not an overpopulation issue either. That was a "replacement population" issue.
Personally I think the human race is more resourceful. We will figure out a a way to survive, even with population growth.
Maybe "food pills" that will fill the world a hundred times over. Who knows.
Anyway, the whole "overpopulation" thing has been totted out for hundreds of years, we figure how to get around it each time.
Maybe "food pills" that will fill the world a hundred times over. Who knows.
Anyway, the whole "overpopulation" thing has been totted out for hundreds of years, we figure how to get around it each time.
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