Cause of global threats: Overpopulation?

[CYZ]

With world population estimated to hit 7 billion soon, while it was 1 billion 200 years ago, it seems population growth has fallen into a crazy accelaration.

Although every global problem has a direct cause of it's own. I believe the most pressing concerns are indirectly caused by overpopulation. Are there too many people on the planet?


Food shortage

Although technologic advances have attributed to agriculture food shortage is still a major problem. For one, every person needs to be fed and there is only so much land to work. Distribution is another major issue in this.

On the other hand increasing welfare in mostly Asia has increased the demand for meat. The production of one meal of meat takes up much more space than a vegatarian meal (animals need to be fed afterall). Thus only increasing the problem.

Fish populations are decreasing and measures are being taking to restrict fishing on for example Tuna. We're running outof grounds to farm. One could argue this will be a natural limit on population growth, sadly it isn't this simple. Bringing us to the next global concern


Climate change and evironmental damage

In order to create more farming ground we are cutting down forests. This process has been going on for a longer period, causing mass deforestation in for example Europe. These activities are now going on in rainforests mainly.

This is directly causing damage to flora and fauna. At the same time the increasing population and wealth is polluting more (even though technological advances to counter this) which many believe is causing a greenhouse effect. Too much CO2 while there are fewer trees to turn CO2 back into Oxygen.

If global warming holds true (and frankly, nobody knows for sure wheter it will or not) this will have a major effect on the Earth and humanity. Some say it could spiral outof controll eventually turning Earth into a Marslike planet. Others think it would mostly cause mass harvestfailures, thereby countering the overpopulation.


Cultural clashes and resource scarcity

Obviously as old as humanity itself and not directly caused by overpopulation. However, as populations grow and resources have to spread thinner dividing said resources will become more difficult. Wheter it is water, food or luxuries, which are mostly replenishable or fossil fuels, which are running out anyway, or even living space; it's bound to cause trouble. Wheter it will be through trade politics or warfare or both.


I foresee overpopulation causing many troubles for humanity and the planet on the longterm. Especially if populationgrowth keeps up. It's hard to believe the numbers but the slow and steady rise in the last millennia has spiralled outof controll since the industrilization.

Will this 'cause major problems? If so, will we overcome those problems and how? If not, what will happen?

 

[NiRv4n4]

Well the population isn't expected to go above 10 billion, unless Africa stabilizes anytime soon. In which case, uh-oh for planet Earth. Overpopulation is the major problem facing mankind, as it exacerbates all other problems simply by increasing the scale. The way to overcome this is simple - a major war between world nations, mass genocide, forced sterilization, or colonization of outer-space. None of which are ethical and feasible. Things will get worse, more extinctions, more deforestation, pollution, etc, but eventually things will get better. More countries will have to become green, sustainable growth will be a major factor, urban planning, etc. 100 years from now, things will hopefully be better than they are now. 50 years, probably not.

 

[schlaufuchs]

Overpopulation is going to level out as the 3rd world countries start becoming more industrialized and the women better educated.

 

[Save_Ferris]

Overpopulation is going to level out as the 3rd world countries start becoming more industrialized and the women better educated.

My theory as well! I'm usually an optimist, but I think it's realistic. Look at Russia, EU and Japan- their populations have become stagnant. America and Canada have higher rates, but a lot of that is due to immigration.

 

[Monsterzuma]

i hardly think the problem is going to be solved by more industrialization if a major energy breakthrough doesn't show up real soon.

 

[Narz]

Overpopulation is going to level out as the 3rd world countries start becoming more industrialized and the women better educated.

That's the kneejerk reaction but it doesn't matter whether population levels out 30 or 40 or 50 years from now. It's already way too high.

I agree with the OP that unsustainable population & particularly unsustainable lifestyles are one of the main culprits in many of the problems that loom in our future. It's kind of taboo to talk about though. 90% of people will say "oh it will level out as the world gets richer" (which relies on another assuming of course, that of continued exponential economic growth) or "oh it's not really a real problem, you could fit the whole US population in a corn field in Idaho (sanitation be damned) & that book in the 70's about overpopulation didn't come true".

Plus, what are you gonna do? Try to control birthrates & people paint you as a Nazi or fascist.

i hardly think the problem is going to be solved by more industrialization if a major energy breakthrough doesn't show up real soon.

Well put.

The problem with the "once everyone lives like Americans the birthrate will decrease" crowd (unfortunately in the population is still rising) is that everyone cannot sustain living like Americans (ecologically or economically). Even Americans aren't living like Americans (used to) anymore.

 

[Disgustipated]

Overpopulation is going to level out as the 3rd world countries start becoming more industrialized and the women better educated.

That doesn't address the problems of overpopulation. Look at the U.S. While our population may not seem as extreme as in Asia, we consume the most resources. So lower populations will not help the resource strain of an industrialized society. Poor nations getting richer will only worsen the problem, not help it.

 

[CYZ]

As above posters stated.

Either A:

Population is going to keep rising because standards don't increase = problem

or B:

Population will more or less stagnate because standards increase. But increased standards will massively increase consumption of food and luxuries, and increase need for fossil fuels.


Also, some say it will work out because the overpopulation will die off due to natural reasons (starvation, world war, superdiseases) or self regulation (worldwide birthcontrol or unnatural selection). This will ofcourse be true at some point I think. My concern is that certain effects will already have become uncontrollable.

Almost all scientists agree that at some point global warming will be irreversible. This is due to snow melting (snow reflects alot of sunlight back into space) and forestfire increasing (even less CO2 being turned into Oxygen and the fires themselves cause alot of CO2). The only question is at what point this will be and when global warming would stop.

Some say 1 degree (celsius) more and it will be at a point where we can't tune down pollution fast enough to stop it. Others say it will be 5 or 10 (which is alot!).

Some say the Earth will simply be alot warmer, more dessert but still enough forests to sustain the planet. Others say the atmosphere will vanish and we will become a Mars-like planet (astronomers believe it possible Mars once had water and perhaps even life).

I'm normally a very optimistic person but for some reason, I really wouldn't be surprised if humanity destroys itself and the planet overtime.

 

[aw3524]

That doesn't address the problems of overpopulation.

What problems of overpopulation? If you haven't noticed, in spite of population growth, most of the world is unimaginably wealthier than people 200 years ago.

Poor nations getting richer will only worsen the problem, not help it.

While the poor nations becoming richer might increase short-term strain on resource supplies, their greater productivity can only be a good thing -- for them, for us, and for the world as a whole.

 

[Communisto]

Dont worry, our generation will get our WWI/II/Bubonic Plague/Polio/Mongol Invasion/Thirty Years War soon enough. Lawd knows we're due.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I blame overpopulation for many of the world's problems. The environment would be better without it. Poverty would be reduced, fewer conflicts, less starvation etc. It is mad to let any species reproduce freely with out limits.

 

[Communisto]

It is mad to let any species reproduce freely with out limits.

Who are we to play god with nature?

 

[SG-17]

Well the population isn't expected to go above 10 billion, unless Africa stabilizes anytime soon. In which case, uh-oh for planet Earth. Overpopulation is the major problem facing mankind, as it exacerbates all other problems simply by increasing the scale. The way to overcome this is simple - a major war between world nations, mass genocide, forced sterilization, or colonization of outer-space. None of which are ethical and feasible. Things will get worse, more extinctions, more deforestation, pollution, etc, but eventually things will get better. More countries will have to become green, sustainable growth will be a major factor, urban planning, etc. 100 years from now, things will hopefully be better than they are now. 50 years, probably not.

The colonization of space is both ethical and feasible. We could do it right now if we really wanted. If we put our minds (and money) to it we could have a permanent base on the Moon in 5 years and a permanent colony on Mars in under 20.

 

[NBAfan]

If you are really concerned with over population, then logically, you should kill yourself.

I blame overpopulation for many of the world's problems. The environment would be better without it. Poverty would be reduced, fewer conflicts, less starvation etc. It is mad to let any species reproduce freely with out limits.

Living standards today are clearly better then 1000 years ago. Other then 3rd world countries, just how many starving people do you see? There are less conflicts currently then 400 years ago.

 

[NiRv4n4]

The colonization of space is both ethical and feasible. We could do it right now if we really wanted. If we put our minds (and money) to it we could have a permanent base on the Moon in 5 years and a permanent colony on Mars in under 20.

Yeah, with maybe a couple of thousand of people on it. And without a space elevator or something like that, it would be very expensive. I mean transforming or making bio domes, and exporting half of all births off-world or something. And are money can be spent on better things.

 

[aw3524]

The colonization of space is both ethical and feasible. We could do it right now if we really wanted. If we put our minds (and money) to it we could have a permanent base on the Moon in 5 years and a permanent colony on Mars in under 20.

We are nowhere near the population density where that'd be something to seriously pursue.

 

[SG-17]

We are nowhere near the population density where that'd be something to seriously pursue.

It doesn't matter. We shouldn't keep all of our eggs in one basket anyway. One rogue asteroid, one new plague, one wrong button press and we could lose everything that we have accomplished in the last 500 years or worse, go extinct.

 

[amadeus]

What problems of overpopulation? If you haven't noticed, in spite of population growth, most of the world is unimaginably wealthier than people 200 years ago.

To these people, prosperity is a problem.

 

[civ_king]

Looks like it is cooling off to me, the primary reason for the primary reason is people aren't dying as quick and not as many people are dying in childhood. There is more than enough grain, not counting fruits or vegetables, just grain to feed the world doesn't sound like not enough food to me! The problem is food distribution, cows and pigs. Besides, food production per acre is still increasing.

The rainforest is being burned to grow soybeans to feed cows to feed the American lardass (USA#1) because McDonald needs moar beef! It isn't being chopped to feed starving people, it is being destroyed to feed fatties!

Venuslike, not Marslike (Mars is very cold, Venus is hotter than an oven) and no, that can't happen because of the Earth's feedback mechanisms OTOH whether humans survive until the negative feedback kicks in after positive feedback gets started is debatable. Food water and luxuries can be innovated, petroleum can too

Population hasn't spiraled out of control, look at my graph

 

[bestrfcplayer]

Overpopulation is going to level out as the 3rd world countries start becoming more industrialized and the women better educated.

This basically.