Ruprecht

Hello! I am new here and I thought that this thread would be appropriate here.

Doesn't anyone think overpopulation is the greatest issue facing the world? We keep hearing how birth rates are declining in the developed countries, but the world population is rising and rising. This is taking up resources, causing disease, poverty and all kinds of other problems.

What solutions are there? We cannot go sterlizing people. I think the only solution to this is a major natural disaster or a world war. Overpopulation is a major problem facing the world!

What is everyones opinion?

LessGovMrPrez

Well, not only is overpopulation a myth, but we actually pay farmers not to grow more food b/c we have too much already.

So my opinion is that the campaign of overpopulation is just another scare tactic of those who are partaking in the environmental movement.

On a sidenote, glad to see another face here. Welcome! You will find alot of differing opinions here and lots of good info.

Ruprecht

Thanks for the welcome.

This is not entirely an environmental issue, though overpopulation is most major environmental problem.

The other problem is the Islamic, African and Asian populations are increasing and the west is in a decline.

LessGovMrPrez

It is tied into the environmental movement. The environmentalists use it as a way to keep pressure on companies and governments from excavating new land. That destroys the Earth and pristine environments, according to the environmentalists, so in that regard it is directly tied in.

Well we can thank birth control for that.

Wheeldog

With all due respect, I completely disagree with you. All animal species from bacteria to humans, are limited by the carrying capacity of their environment. A given specie may temporarily exceed its carrying capacity (referred to as population overshoot), but it will ultimately crash dropping to a fraction of its former peak numbers.

Modern humans have roamed the earth for hundreds of thousands of years and have practiced farming and herding for tens of thousands of years. Yet their total numbers at a given time did not exceed one billion until the early 1800s. It took another hundred years to reach 1.6 billion. In the space of slightly more than a century, the number has more than quadrupled to well over 6 billion. In the process, we have destroyed vast expanses of forests, fertile land, fish and wildlife populations and precious sources of fresh water.

It is interesting to note that the explosive growth of the human population almost perfectly tracks the production of fossil fuels, especially oil. In part, that is because enormous concentration of energy gained through the use of fossil fuels has allowed us to briefly exceed normal carrying capacity. As the total amount of available energy declines, so will human populations. If you doubt this, I suggest doing a bit of background reading on natural carrying capacity and population dynamics. Human population crashes have happened many times throughout history when the carrying capacity has been exceeded.

africanhope

Africa's population is in decline actually (sub-Saharan Africa) with countries, like Swaziland and Namibia so rife with HIV-AIDS that we are seeinga drop in numbers, whilst South Africa's population growth is very low.

The problem is the way the population numbers are devied, with the economic active dying, leaving many children and old people. Also those who can afford it are havingfew children, whilst the poor are having many, causing the 'scenes of over population' shownon television.

AH

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choclosteve

No doubt that overpopulation creates many problems, particularly for those poorest of countries where their economic growth is outpaced by population growth. And yes, population growth presents environmental problems and stresses. I cannot think of a large city on this planet that does not suffer from polution and congestion, and it is spreading. I am always happy to see more small famillies and small towns.

Kazikli Bey

Well, human beings are the highest contributor to carbon emissions, we even do it when we sleep!!!

So, when we have an overpopulation, we contribute a lot more the the enhanced greenhouse effect then what we care to let on to. So, i might sound a little crazy when i suggest that war would be a good idea to reduce population numbers.

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Wheeldog

Your post is interesting. I was under the impression that Africa's overall propulation is increasing despite the ravages of AIDS, famine and war. This seems to be the message of the following: World population - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Population growth has been a main contributor to the environmental crisis plaguing Africa. In many places, the agriculturally productive land is literally worn out. Water resources are strained to the breaking point. Huge lakes are turning into dust bowls. Poverty is endemic. Were it not for the relief efforts of other nations to bring food, medicine and shelter to Africa the death toll would be beyond imagination. Sadly, the population is outstripping the available aid. And it should be remembered that what is happening in Africa can happen here.

zerochill

as Malthus said humans grow mutiplicitivly but land grows arithmaticly. i think 6 billion is about the limit of this planet but the population needs to be redistributed. it may not be a problem now but do you want your kids having to deal with it. the same sort of thing is happening now with our oil reserves depleated and we are scrambling for something new. we should be a little more far thinking about overpopulation

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