observer Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Interesting prog on TV, presented by David Attenborough, about world population growth, which is increasing by two persons every second. Over the last 50 years it has tripled to 7 billion and is forecast to reach 10 billion by 2050. All will require food, water and shelter, and the ability of the planet to produce these resources appears problematic. This has knock on effects for Earth's environment, natural resources etc; plus natural disasters. Ironically, the biggest population increases will occur in those places least able to sustain it, like Africa and India. China has had a one child policy for some time, but the preference for boys has distorted the gender balance. So what's to be done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 cannibalism? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 I believe the forecast is for world population to level out around the 10 billion mark and then start declining. This is because as poverty declines the need for large families declines as well, as can be seen in the native populations of European countries. Any increase in population is down to immigration here, not to the indiginous birth rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Wouldn't rely on that Asp: true there will be a decline in E/Europe and Japan; but in those regions of rapid population growth, the question will be, can the economic and social infrastructure keep pace, in order to bring about the halt you speak of ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 in 35 years I will be fertiliser anyway.... not my problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Thank God I won't be around Baz, I would hate to think you were in my rhubarb and custard!. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 You see ,talking about population, this is where i can't equate the British governments objections to seriously ill people campaigning to die with dignity, thus saving the NHS possibly thousands of pounds, but at the same time expecting doctors to canvass patients about "do not resuscitate" issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 Yesterday's sci-fi has a habit of becoming tomorrow's reality - "Solent Green" ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Yesterday's sci-fi has a habit of becoming tomorrow's reality Really? Have you got any examples of this phenomenom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Man on the Moon ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Just the one example then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Submarines? Jules Verne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Helicopters.... aeroplanes, satellites, rockets, internet, mobile communication devices, mobile TV, deep sea submersibles....how many examples would you like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 These are not so much science fiction as predictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Leonardo designed versions of several of these 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Wouldn't rely on that Asp: true there will be a decline in E/Europe and Japan; but in those regions of rapid population growth, the question will be, can the economic and social infrastructure keep pace, in order to bring about the halt you speak of ? Quite a long documentary but with many answers to your questions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtwNKpGJ-eQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Sorry Asp, I'd rather trust David Attenborough. Another aspect to this, was the disproportionate share of Earth's bounty - if equally divided per capita, we should all enjoy the fruits of around 2 hectares of land: the Indians and Africans get around 1.5h; Europeans 5h and the US 10h. Which goes someway to explain why people migrate for "a better life". To rub salt in the wound, Western and Chinese companies are investing in farms in Africa and other deprived areas, to produce foods for their home markets. So our super-market shelves are brimming with two for one offers, contributing to an obesity epidemic and a mountain of food waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Obs, I don't understand your comment about preferring to trust David Attenborough. Nothing in that documentary is seriously at odds with what Attenborough believes i.e. that overpopulation is a problem. It is a problem which will in a short time solve itself. Possibly you didn't watch all, or any, of the link I put up? Also, you can't have it both ways. Either there isn't enough food to go round, or we are producing too much - so much that a lot of it goes to produce mountains of waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Think the point being made, is that the resources of the globe are not evenly distributed throughout the world's population; so yes, in the short term, if counter measures were taken (which they won't), there may be sufficient resources. Having said that, the yield per hectare has been increased to it's limits through modern farming methods, and land take is finite. Satellite surveillance shows this, and any extreme weather event (droughts, floods etc) can disrupt this and create shortages. The problem is, that in those regions with less resource distribution, population growth is estimated to increase fastest; so less food with more mouths to feed. So the question remains, how do we control population levels? The Chinese with an authoritarian Gov have managed a one child policy; but that probably won't be possible in a democracy; hence India is set to overtake China in population level. Another possibly, is the education of young women, where women are better educated they tend to exercise choices in family planning; but that may not be possible in those areas retarded by religion. GM crops may increase yields, but we're still dealing with a supply v demand equation, where demand is increasing by two mouths every second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 But India is still managing to increase its population despite,famine,flood , disease & poverty, even though the country has its own space programme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Not sure "managing" is quite the right word Dave! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 So yes Obs, obviously you didn't watch the documentary I linked to, which covered all your concerns. As for Mr Attenborough, his solution is to remove the bulk of mankind (which he describes as "a plague") and just leave a small number of people (no doubt including him and his kin) to manage the earth. Not as nice as he likes to be thought of actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2015 Guess we'll have to leave it to the four horsemen then ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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