will87 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 One things for sure, Europe is going to get very insignificant in population terms very quickly. In 1950 it had twice as many people as Africa, by 2050 it's likely Africa will have 4-5 times as many people as Europe. Then you've got Asia which will still be more than double the size of Africa by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 Indias population grows at about 16m a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 21, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted October 21, 2011 If you go on a reality tv show you should be made infertile first Also if you like marmite you should be tooYou were going so well up to that point. Marmite **** rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 no major changes in the future. the world will continue pretty much as it has since 6billion population. its probably at about 12-15billion that thinks might start getting interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 I'm starting to think mother nature will take care of the numbers A super virus, more powerful than bird flu, swine flue, Ebola, SARS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I'm starting to think mother nature will take care of the numbers A super virus, more powerful than bird flu, swine flue, Ebola, SARS Mother nature (i.e. Evolution) is not sentient. The only thing that can stop the population of mankind growing ids mankind itself. The planet has the resources to support twice the population as it is now, perhaps more. Free contraception and education for the entire third world might be a good place to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 The planet has the resources to support twice the population as it is now, perhaps more. Source on that. Everything I've read has stated we're using more resources per year than the planet can recoup, so where exactly are all the resources to support twice the current population? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 The planet has the resources to support twice the population as it is now, perhaps more. Source on that. Everything I've read has stated we're using more resources per year than the planet can recoup, so where exactly are all the resources to support twice the current population? We would have to have a massive rethink of our lifestyle, particularly in the west. But as long as there is enough food and water, anything is possible. Source is logic. Food + Water + Sun + Sex = Sustainability. It's easy to forget we are animals, no different from any other in terms of our basic needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 P.S. Renewable energy is our friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 By 2050 fresh drinking water will be a serious issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Source is logic. Food + Water + Sun + Sex = Sustainability. It's easy to forget we are animals, no different from any other in terms of our basic needs. Ah right, source is figure pulled out of your ass. You're completely wrong. If you double the population you're not only doubling the amount of resources needed, you're also dramatically reducing the available land for farming them. Even if we could somehow farm enough food to feed 14bn people, there simply isn't the fresh water to supply drinking water to 14bn people. Of course you'll go "desalination" but desalination is massively inefficient. It takes huge amounts of energy to do, energy which is going to come from where? "Renewable energy" isn't some magic solution of unending unlimited energy, especially when you've used up most the space on the planet cramming 14bn on to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 A nuclear war involving India v Pakistan is not beyond the realms of possibility Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Source is logic. Food + Water + Sun + Sex = Sustainability. It's easy to forget we are animals, no different from any other in terms of our basic needs. Ah right, source is figure pulled out of your ass. Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Well it is. You might as well have said that that the earth can support 100x it's current population and it'd have exactly the same basis. There's people that actually study this, and most of them agree the earth is over populated. But of course your "logic" states it can support twice as many people, so what do they know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowDoINotLikeThat Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 If ppl are THAT concerned about overpopulation - it is something you can actually do something about - don't breed and kill yourself! @ CarewsEyebrowDesigner - Network is one my favourite films of alltime . Brilliant film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 As George Carlin said, long after humanity is gone, the earth will brush off the last remnants of our civilizations like a "surface nuisance"..... The Earth will swallow up every last bit of bullshit we left in a landfill and continue on with things. Eventually there will be no evidence at all that we even existed. I kind of like that idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peever Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 As George Carlin said, long after humanity is gone, the earth will brush off the last remnants of our civilizations like a "surface nuisance"..... The Earth will swallow up every last bit of bullshit we left in a landfill and continue on with things. Eventually there will be no evidence at all that we even existed. I kind of like that idea. The earth will shake us off like a bad case of fleas....a surface nuisance. As for the space issue, if people can deal with cold I think Canada and Russia can hold alot of people I think if my neck of the woods with the proper level sky scrapers we could put at least 500 million Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Being from New England, one of the first areas settled by Europeans, and one of the more densely populated areas in the US to this day, it always struck me as very strange that about half the state of Maine (the easternmost state in the US) is total wilderness. When there was massive westward expansion in the 1800's, and cities began to boom at the turn of the century, and urban overcrowding became an issue, northern Maine remained as it was, untouched. And it still is. There are cougars and black bears and eagles and bobcats up there....I'm rambling here, still need my second cup of coffee..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I guess USA, Australia & Russia could hold a couple of extra billion people between them. If we could terraform, and reverse the deserts, we'd probably be able to hold another couple of billion people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 24, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted October 24, 2011 I guess USA, Australia & Russia could hold a couple of extra billion people between them. If we could terraform, and reverse the deserts, we'd probably be able to hold another couple of billion people.All eating Soylent Green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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