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Page added on July 6, 2014
Plan needed for human overload
PSYCHOLOGISTS tell us that we spend 97 per cent of our time thinking about ourselves but on Friday, let’s spare a thought for the world as it is World Population Day.
This day, to raise awareness of global population issues, was established by the UN in 1989 and has been celebrated across the world annually since then.
What are the numbers? Best guesses are that we reached 1 billion in 1804, 2 billion in 1927, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, 7 billion in 2012, and projections for 8 billion by 2025-30 and 9 billion by 2045-50.
A scan of the search engines will soon show you that there are also those experts who predict that the current population expansion may have an equally rapid contraction, possibly reaching as low as 2billion by 2100.
So it really is time to think about what sort of Earth we are going to leave for our grandchildren, since the global situation impacts on our local situation.
The scientific consensus is that the current population expansion and accompanying increase in use of resources is linked to threats to the ecosystem, including rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming, water shortage and pollution.
In real terms, we are staring at hard limits on our activities and numbers, imposed by energy constraints and ecological damage. If we look in our region, energy demands for Chindia (China and India) are set to increase astronomically as these two economies become more affluent and more of their peoples demand refrigerators, cars and airconditioners. It is unlikely renewable energy alone can fill this demand so carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere will inexorably rise and so will global temperatures with potentially devastating effects. Chindia represents one-third of the world’s population and while China’s population will start to shrink in the 2030s, India’s will continue to expand.
World population growth is indeed the elephant in the room and is worth thinking about, not only on Friday but throughout your year. We need systems, structures and attitudes that will help our country and our children cope with this massive overload of one species.
Humanity is not going to go extinct. But we need to plan for the next cycle of our civilisation.
25 Comments on "Plan needed for human overload"
Desmodia on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 3:25 pm
That last sentence is overly optimistic…
I’ve been watching population growth and trying fruitlessly to do something about it since the 60s. It’s heartbreaking to me to have watched us move from a clear understanding of overpopulation’s danger (60s, 70s) to a blithe disregard for the issue, hardly ever mentioned as a root cause of so many other problems we face now.
We’re seeing the legacy of Reagan’s right-face on support for family planning: more and more people creating bigger and bigger carbon footprints, indiveidually and as societies. Very disheartening.
GregT on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 3:26 pm
“Humanity is not going to go extinct.”
Well thank goodness we’ve solved THAT little problem. Now, how do we reduce populations from 9 billion people in 2050, to 2 billion people in 2100? A simply calculation reveals that we would need to reduce populations by 140 million people per year, or 383,561 people per day.
Not impossible, I’m sure that they’ll think of something, they always do.
noobtube on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 3:30 pm
The problem with overpopulation is a problem of the so-called civilized (mass murdering), rich (parasites on the rest), 1st world (leeches off the 3rd world) countries.
Italy, France, UK, United States, China, and Japan cannot support themselves without taking (stealing?) from the rest of the world.
A typical African eats like a bird, while a typical American eats like an Elephant.
The question is, how many birds can the Earth support compared to how many elephants can the Earth support?
Who is using resources more efficiently, an African or an American?
JuanP on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 4:18 pm
“Humanity is not going to go extinct.”
Actually, yes, it will. It is only a matter of when and how, not if. It could be tomorrow in a nuclear war or in a few billion years in another universe, but we will not last forever. I am 99% sure of this.
Plantagenet on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 4:22 pm
Liberals destroyed the zero population growth (ZPG) movement in the US because they claimed it was racist. The ZPG people were hounded out of the Sierra Club and demonized. Too bad—we need that kind of far-sighted intelligent thought in the USA.
kervennic on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 4:26 pm
Many new plans seems quite promising: ebola, Isis.
For myself it is unemployment. As you reach zero dollar on your bank account, you are left between going into crime or jumping from a motorway bridge.
I think this is a choice many of us will have to do pretty soon.
Harquebus on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 4:55 pm
A few surviving hunter gatherers is the best that humanity can hope for.
dsula on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 5:30 pm
Without constant grain delivery from the US, noobtube’s negros and arabs would starve. But instead of letting them, we import them by the truck load to Europe, Australia, usa, canada.
Ain’t the west great, folks? Allowing high performance breeders to what they do best.
penury on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 6:00 pm
I wish that the everything will be alright people would explain where the resources will come from for 9 billion people. When I was in school the population was approx 2 billion, we are currently at 7.5 plus billion and still growing. the mass of the planet has not increased, resources are being used but people keep thinking that happy days will continue forever. Well they could be right, but I still thing the earth will be depleted of oil, coal, clean drinking water and breathable air baring some new miracle products. I wish these cornucopians would tell us where these miracles will come from/
noobtube on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 9:00 pm
The United Stats is saving the world from hunger?
You’d have to be pretty stupid to believe something like that.
Monsanto and McDonalds are keeping the world fed.
How’s that for an American slogan?
Makati1 on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 9:47 pm
dsula, without the West plundering and constantly stirring up Africa, they would do just fine, thank you. The uS does NOT feed the world. You have drank too much of the government cool aid.
If you look at the poorest countries in the world, and their history, you would notice that those are also the countries plundered for centuries by the West. Their wealth and labor has been stolen to make the West richer. Stop all imports into the West and watch it shrink to 3rd world level quickly.
No? Wait. The shrinkage is in process already. You’ll soon notice it in YOUR neighborhood.
Arthur on Sun, 6th Jul 2014 10:47 pm
Have a look at the 2008 agricultural export figures in billion $, noobtube, and then you see that it is in your own interest to not make whitey angry:
http://deepresource.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/worlds-top-10-agricultural-exporters/
USA 118
Netherlands 79
Germany 71
France 68
Brasil 55
Belgium 41
Italy 37
Canada 37
Spain 36
China 36
noobtube on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 1:05 am
I think you have it backwards.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Global_Secrets_Lies/Myth_FoodScarcity.html
It is Europe that is stealing the food off the plates of the rest of the world.
Don’t make the rest of the world mad or you are going to find yourself hungry and cold.
There is enough food produced in the world for everyone to have 3500 calories each day!
It is the United States, the Europeans, the Japanese (and now the Chinese) that are way too numerous for what they are taking from the Earth.
Arthur on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 3:47 am
I am curious to learn how these evil Europeans steal the food. Do they come in at night and snatch all the food riches? Isn’t time than to get some security in place then? How stupid of you to produce all these food riches year in, year out, and still let Europeans take them away.
All baloney of course. You’re on your own feet now for half a century and it is down hill ever since. Decolonisation, instigated by the US ptb…
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5-7STB8FGSY/Twd3dtKvkJI/AAAAAAAABYo/9C34hH4wgXE/s1600/Ian+Smith.jpg
…has shown that you can’t run a sophisticated economy like for instance the Koreans or Chinese can.
Rhodesia is the best thing that can happen to Africans:
rhodesia .nl/wheat.jpg
Africans can’t maintain these agricultural machines, let alone design and produce them, but they can operate them.
It is not difficult to predict that after the end of the American era (=fossil fuel era) the Europeans and Chinese will continue where British and French left off in Fashoda and carve up sub-Saharan=sub-Caliphate Africa and provide some order.
content .time .com/time/world/article/0,8599,1713275,00.html
If you are lucky, you end op in the European part, no garantees though.
Africa can be a real heaven on earth, for white and black:
therhodesiansas. com/images/pilgrim.jpg
antiwarforever on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 6:43 am
I believe in the theory of the “drop of water” : you know that tiny drop of water that makes the full glass overflow. That will happen I’m sure one day with the 10 billionth or 15 billionth or 20 billionth human.
Full earth implosion.
noobtube on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 11:05 am
You think Africa NEEDS Europe.
I see why Europe is doomed, if the typical European thinks like that. You are insane.
The UK is a basket case.
France is a country full of Fukushimas just waiting to meltdown.
Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Ireland are already falling apart.
The United States provides your military.
Russia provides your natural gas.
Libya fuels Italy.
France is sending fishing vessels into West Africa and other Euro-trash nations are dumping/fishing off Somalia.
Europe cannot feed itself nor fuel itself.
A European talking about Africa can’t handle its affairs is the definition of hypocrisy. When did Europe ever manage its own affairs, without making a mess for everyone? World War I, World War II, invasion of Africa, and the Middle East, bank bailouts, massive unemployment, and unrest….
Europe can’t handle its own business but its going to take care of everyone else’s?
Delusional.
The only shots Europe is going to be calling, in the future, is who should they beg for food from today and which cave to hide in tomorrow.
Arthur on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 11:39 am
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/WORLD/africa/06/06/tunisia.libya.refugees/t1larg.sfax.boat.gi.afp.jpg
Arthur on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 11:46 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_aid
Most official development assistance (ODA) came from the 23 members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), or about $120 billion in 2009.[16] In 2007 a further $11.8 billion came from the European Commission while all non-DAC countries gave $5.56 billion.[17]
The largest DAC donors in 2009 were the European Union $80,655 billion out of world $120 billion,[16] United States (USD 28.8 billion), France ($12.6 billion), Germany ($12.1 billion), United Kingdom ($11.5 billion) and Japan ($9.5 billion). The largest non-DAC donors in 2007 were Saudi Arabia ($2 billion) and Turkey ($0.6 billion). However, none of these countries met the UN target of giving at least 0.7 percent of the Gross National Income (GNI) as aid. United States (0.21% of GNI) and Japan (0.18% of GNI) were ranked 19 and 21 respectively out of the 23 DAC countries. The only countries meeting the targets in 2009 were Sweden (1.12% of GNI), Norway (1.06% of GNI), Luxembourg (1.04% of GNI), Denmark (0.88% of GNI), and the Netherlands (0.82% of GNI).
………….
Without the north, you would be thrown back into the stone age within a matter of years.
noobtube on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 12:19 pm
I remember hearing that stupidity about Zimbabwe back in 2008.
Oh no, they are going to starve without the Europeans. Oh no, the Europeans are so superior at agriculture in Africa than the Africans that have lived there for thousands of years. Oh no, there is going to be a crisis in feeding people without the Europeans. Oh no, the people can’t get bread.
Yet, 6 years later, it turns out Africans are actually better at growing food than those degenerate, invading, leeching Europeans, who were sitting on the land and factory farming with pesticides, oil-based equipment, and Monsanto seeds.
In India, the best seeds come from the local farmers because they know the land and have managed it for centuries. Not that franken-seeds/GMO garbage coming out of American/Europe.
Can’t tell that to a European/American (or American-European?). In their world, their stuff doesn’t stink, they are not responsible for their behavior, everyone else is inferior to them, they have a God complex, and the world can’t survive without them.
With that diagnosis, Americans/Europeans are clinical psychopaths. No wonder they are a destructive force everywhere they go on this planet.
The Earth doesn’t need any more Americans or Europeans and needs to get rid of the ones it has. That is the only way any life stands a chance on this 3rd rock from the sun.
MSN Fanboy on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 12:38 pm
Noob: Who is using resources more efficiently, an African or an American?
Americans.
MSN Fanboy on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 12:54 pm
Kervinic: For myself it is unemployment. As you reach zero dollar on your bank account, you are left between going into crime or jumping from a motorway bridge.
No kerv, cheer up 🙂
you have two choices, ask yourself… what is crime?
1,Is it criminal to work in a system destroying the planet: No.
Is it criminal to find an alternative to working in a system not destroying the system: No (But its bloody made difficult by society, i.e. social exclusion)
The point being the dominant hierachy deem criminal all actions which subvert their power.
Society restricts power to gain more itself, as a greater mass of people do. The pity of civilasation.
2, What is law?, before even considering the first point?
Its doesnt really exist: gasp. There is no crime, but only the subversive forces of power which limit individual human capacity.
Free your mind Kerv, we all die, suicide should never be an option. Will you die a prisoner? or a free man?
BTW if you do choose the unfortuanate latter option: take as much bullshit down with you… send a message.
I will not bow, even into the arms of death, pushed by others, free your mind.
MSN Fanboy on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 12:59 pm
dsula: Without constant grain delivery from the US, noobtube’s negros and arabs would starve. But instead of letting them, we import them by the truck load to Europe, Australia, usa, canada.
Ain’t the west great, folks? Allowing high performance breeders to what they do best.
And this is why collapse will be fortunate. Let us see how many “Liberally minded multi-cultural etc.. types” make it through the second dark age.
In the darkness there is only darkness, embrace it and survive.
noobtube on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 2:14 pm
The only ones with a dark age were the degenerate Europeans and their filthy American descendants.
You do stupid, genocidal, destructive things, you tend to get stupid, genocidal, destructive results.
Americans/Europeans still haven’t figured that out. They have a big reward coming for them, and they aren’t going to want it.
It will be sweet to see these self-important pieces of garbage get everything thats coming to them.
And, there won’t be any sympathy from the rest of the world.
The Earth needs to cleanse itself of this American/European garbage… the mass destroyers of life everywhere on this planet.
Arthur on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 3:24 pm
“The Earth needs to cleanse itself of this American/European garbage… the mass destroyers of life everywhere on this planet.”
Nothing short of a call for real genocide. And there are quite a few of these maniacs on the loose, who could build the proletariate for the coming neo-bolshevik revolution, this time in the US.
Northwest Resident on Mon, 7th Jul 2014 3:25 pm
Actually, noob, the filthy American descendants weren’t around during the so-called Dark Age — so they didn’t have a dark age.
But those filthy Europeans sure went through what was termed Dark Ages. So did all other people and cultures and tribes on planet earth.
In fact, my guess is that YOU are living through your own Dark Age right now, as evidenced by your ignorance, your hostility, you anger and hatred and the unbearable misery that you are obviously living in. You should be blaming your filthy parents and your degenerate relatives for raising such a miserable wretched piece of human trash such as yourself. But, you’d have to be able to think clearly to lay blame where blame is due, and you obviously are incapable of that.
Read this, noob. Educate yourself, if that is possible:
Overshoot Loop
How humans — all humans — even filthy degenerates like noob, are wired to destroy and kill. After all, we are God’s creation.
theautomaticearth dot com/debt-rattle-jul-7-2014-overshoot-loop/