Is overpopulation cause for concern?

[El_Machinae]

The limits on growth and consumption can be presented as a defensive mechanism, too. It's tough with resource extraction, but a great deal of the damage done by large populations is through food consumption. We might not be able to pass limits on (say) mining, because other countries will liberalise their mining and then out-compete us. But if we reduce water consumption, meat production, pollution, or fuel wastage, we can spin these as increasing our competitiveness and protecting natural capital.

 

[caketastydelish]

Both developing countries and developed countries are to blame if you ask me.

Developing countries: Way too many babies. I hear in some of them the average woman has as many as 5 babies, and in some even more. Absurd.

Developed countries: Selfishly high standard of living, and their major corporations are really screwing over the people in the Developing countries.

 

[Alassius]

One thing I probably mentioned at some point but should probably reiterate.


This is faulty thinking. While better developed/educated countries due tend to produce fewer children, smaller richer families are going to still have a much higher eco-footprint than their poorer but larger counterparts. Unless all the rich people want to live like this which is not going to happen.

I mean we don't have to do anything to get a stable population. We probably do have to do something about energy and such.

 

[Narz]

From the Onion.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/scientists-look-onethird-of-the-human-race-has-to,27166/