Overopulation: An inevitable disaster an the verge of arriving

To the people saying overpopulation is a myth, I have some questions:

If 6 billion people are not enough, how many are? Do you agree that at some point, with the current growth rate, the earth will be overpopulated? After all, the space we have is limited. So are most of our resources.

And what will happen when the earth will become overpopulated? What if that's a tipping point, would you want people to die/starve in their millions? Hm, wait, that's already happening now...

We do indeed have enough food today to feed 6 billion people. The calories that we grow would be sufficient. But nearly 1 billion people are suffering from starvation, because of poor distribution of resources. Who's to say that by the time we reach 10 billion we would be able to solve all the problems we have right now and sustain everyone?

If there is enough space and enough food to feed everyone, then why are people all over the world abandoning the country side and flocking to the cities? 1 billion people today live in slums. 1 billion! That's one in every six citizens of the world! And the number is constantly growing.

My point is that, even if what you're saying is true, and overpopulation is a myth, we can't sustain everyone now and we sure won't be able to sustain everyone when overpopulation will cease to be a myth and become reality. And we can't rely on solutions that we don't have right now and we might never have.

Overpopulation is certainly not a myth, there are countries and territories that are heavily overpopulated, mostly in Africa and Asia. But global overpopulation is a myth, because there are also quite underpopulated areas and countries.

reply to post by Wallachian


Good points, I agree. Even if we have the theoretical (not practical!) capability to feed all people in the world, that doesnt mean LOCAL overpopulation is a myth, because of poor distribution. We should try to limit the unsustainable population growth in those areas (by peaceful means of course) as much as we can (in addition to making distribution better), because if we wont, one day we will surely reach the tipping point, with matematical certainty.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower


Well you'd be wrong, but I won't waste my time arguing with you if you can't do your own research.

I've done my research on this issue and everything stated can be easily verified with a quick google search.

~Keeper

You still think Google owns ebay and paypal, and totally bailed out of another thread when asked for proof.

Is avoiding sourcing your ridiculous comments your standard M.O. here?

Originally posted by Whereweheaded


Um...your comment about water diminishing could be debated. Heres a report that would counter your claim?
Care to submit your proof to validate your argument?

source: www.livescience.com...
source: www.canadafreepress.com...
source: www.lewrockwell.com...

edit on 15-12-2010 by Whereweheaded because: (no reason given)

If you are ever in Las Vegas, drive by Lake Mead and see how low it is.

The government projects that at least 36 states will face water shortages within five years because of a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, urban sprawl, waste and excess.

Source

Because Americans use so much, the report card shows water is an emerging crisis here.

Source

The availability of fresh water, I believe, is probably going to be the first problem that has got to be addressed," said the British government's chief scientific adviser.

Reuters Source

Water shortages, which used to be limited to the dry western states, are now a problem throughout the U.S. Even regions that once seemed to have limitless supplies of water are facing predictions of shortages within a few years and are imposing water restrictions on residents.

F.A.I.R. source


Need more?

reply to post by BigTimeCheater


Actually, lake Mead is low due to the fact that the state lost the water supply contract between Nevada and California. Also, there were a couple of gov.t inspectors I worked with while serving in Vegas that worked on a project in Cali., that were 2 man made reservoirs, apparently the water supplied by these huge man made reservoirs was form lake mead. Ironically after these things were built, the contract between the two states was lost? I'll check to see if I can find valid sources for you to peruse.

Originally posted by Whereweheaded
reply to post by BigTimeCheater

 

Actually, lake Mead is low due to the fact that the state lost the water supply contract between Nevada and California. Also, there were a couple of gov.t inspectors I worked with while serving in Vegas that worked on a project in Cali., that were 2 man made reservoirs, apparently the water supplied by these huge man made reservoirs was form lake mead. Ironically after these things were built, the contract between the two states was lost? I'll check to see if I can find valid sources for you to peruse.

Actually its so low because its normal source (snow melt and runoff) has been much lower in recent years.

There is a 50 percent chance that Lake Mead, which was created by the Hoover Dam and the Colorado River, will go dry by 2021 because of escalating human demand and climate change, according to a study by Tim Barnett and David Pierce of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California at San Diego.

Source

The water is going down because the Colorado River runoff over the last decade starting in 1998 has been far below normal.

In 2000, for example, the runoff was only 56 percent of normal. The runoff has continued to be well below normal. Because of this decreased runoff, Lake Mead has received only slightly more than the minimum required amount of water from the Upper Basin

Source

“We’re in the ninth year of drought now, and things have been pretty grim on the Colorado River,” said J.C. Davis, of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Source


Now, as I said before, with water shortages happening all over, increased population will only expedite that.

Definitely not a good scenario.

Originally posted by SaturnFX
There is alot of conjecture in the overpopulation argument.
I used to be a firm believer in overpopulation until I did a bit of math and study, realizing that it appears more a myth to drive up food property prices synthetically by creating a false crisis.

I will say that there is a great mismanagment of resources in the world that is causing all sorts of problem, but that is not because of overpopulation verses corporatist greed and the nations corporations own to propagate both the false crisis, and the continued exploitation of resources.

As with all things...follow the money.

As far as a nice clear example of how this supposed crisis is, consider a quick example

3 people live in a lush forest with ripe fruit and animals.
3 other people live in a bone dry desert, with barely any food
over time, 1 person dies from starvation in the desert...
Does this mean the world cannot support 6 people...or does it suggest a desert cannot support 3 people, but the world itself could support potentially hundreds if the resources were not mismanaged? (example..simplified.)

Its not overpopulation, and its not even overconsumption...it is mismanagment and false crisis propaganda by the few that hold the worlds resources.

AND a false rationale for Eugenics Policies, designed to control uppity individuals and populations.

reply to post by soficrow


Every ecosystem, from your backyard, to the planet has a certain carrying capacity.

Overpopulation is and will occur and tragedy will result.

Originally posted by BigTimeCheater

Originally posted by tothetenthpower


Well you'd be wrong, but I won't waste my time arguing with you if you can't do your own research.

I've done my research on this issue and everything stated can be easily verified with a quick google search.

~Keeper

You still think Google owns ebay and paypal, and totally bailed out of another thread when asked for proof.

Is avoiding sourcing your ridiculous comments your standard M.O. here?

If you'd read the thread a bit further, you'll have noticed I did source my information.

And I was mistaken about the Google comment, I did not repost in the thread because of how convoluted it became.

~Keeper

IMO The worst thing about perceived 'overpopulation' is that life is cheapened.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


No source was posted because that entire thought process is laughable.

Why not source your own comments in this thread and not make others do the work for you?

The US is under populated??
Then why is it that we are running out of room for our garbage.
And why is it that we are unable to degrade our sewage as fast as it is produced.
All our waterways our polluted.
Many wells on private property are polluted.
None of our tap water is pure.

And to those of you who have viewed many miles of natural countryside….
Isn’t it beautiful?
Would you rather see mile after mile of rooftops?

And to those of you who keep repeating that tired, nonsensical trivia of “everyone in the world could stand shoulder to shoulder in Ireland or where ever….Is that how you would like to live?

And then there are those who say that everyone in the world could have an acre in Texas or where ever.. Which is equally ridiculous and invalid as an argument. Those who think that this is such a great idea should do the logistics.

Who would pick up the garbage? How do you dispose of your sewage?

Where would you get you food? Where do you get your water? Where would your kids go to school? Where would you work?

Where would you get your power- assuming you want electricity? Are there roads carved into the area? How many acres of Texas do all these roads take up?

Where are go getting all the building materials for houses for these six billion + people?
Do you have airports, or do you have to drive out of Texas to find one?

Have you ever been to Texas?

Now then, on to consumerism. Why do I need more than one pair of shoes? Because I want them; I can pay for them and they are available. I have every right to enjoy the fruits of my labor don’t I?
Are you asking me to make sacrifices for those who are not willing to govern their reproductive abilities in accordance to what they earn or according to the ability of their land to grow the necessary food for them?

The poor who constantly need charity should not be breeding beyond their ability to provide for themselves.

.As to that food that we throw away….Do you want me to scrape my plate into some collection bin so that you can redistribute it to the needy? And the same for the Supermarket Dumpsters. All that rotten vegetation and rotten meat…you collect it and give it to the needy.
As to the chlorine…this prevents people from eating rotten stuff and getting Sick.
Use A little analytical thought people.

There are those who want proof/sources for the effects of overpopulation……
However,
They do not give any proof or source for their contention that the Earth could support more than 6 billion.

everyone who advicates the lie that overpopulation is real are mindless drones controled by the government to attempt to justify the coming holocaust.

Originally posted by MaximumTruth
everyone who advicates the lie that overpopulation is real are mindless drones controled by the government to attempt to justify the coming holocaust.

Actually we are intelligent people who see a problem approaching rapidly.

Incidentally, we are also people who can spell elementary level words like advocate and controlled.

Originally posted by BigTimeCheater
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

No source was posted because that entire thought process is laughable.

Why not source your own comments in this thread and not make others do the work for you?

I did source my comments in THIS thread.

Again, read the WHOLE thread and you will see I sourced a website explaining why overpopulation is a myth.

~Keeper

reply to post by tothetenthpower

I've done my research on this issue and everything stated can be easily verified with a quick google search.

Good to see you do extensive research and look at facts, such as consulting a single website called overpopulationisamyth.com

Lol really? An anti abortion group headed by a priest? Thats your "research"?

Originally posted by BigTimeCheater

Originally posted by MaximumTruth
everyone who advicates the lie that overpopulation is real are mindless drones controled by the government to attempt to justify the coming holocaust.

Actually we are intelligent people who see a problem approaching rapidly.

Incidentally, we are also people who can spell elementary level words like advocate and controlled.

that's obviously just a cover to spread your lies.

reply to post by BigTimeCheater

Every ecosystem, from your backyard, to the planet has a certain carrying capacity.

Overpopulation is and will occur and tragedy will result.

Earth's carrying capacity is not overwhelmed by population - rather, by industrial and other abuse, resulting from a truly wonky "economic system."

Lose the industrial agriculture, strip mining, over fishing and the like, and the ecosystem will regain it's balance. Including rebalanced fertility rates - which btw have DROPPED dramatically.

Originally posted by BigTimeCheater
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

I've done my research on this issue and everything stated can be easily verified with a quick google search.

Good to see you do extensive research and look at facts, such as consulting a single website called overpopulationisamyth.com

Lol really? An anti abortion group headed by a priest? Thats your "research"?

edit on 17-12-2010 by BigTimeCheater because: (no reason given)

Where did you get anti abortion group headed by a priest?

I'm pretty sure you have the wrong website.

This is the one I am referencing.

Source

~Keeper