7 Billion people? Now that's spooky!

[EBodious]

i heard it on colbert and then saw it in time magazine, so it must be true!

it is estimated that the world population will hit 7 billion by halloween. and 8 billion by about 2025.

so, how many people can our eco-system support? there is an upper limit. though technology pushes that limit up, at some point we will reach it.

i have read that right now there are enough resources where most people live, but access to those resources is not equal. in america, we pay very little for our food compared to most people in the world. and then there is the issue of fresh water access.

seems like a troubling scenario to me.

thoughts?

[Phalex]

The current population growth is exponential. It's a sharply rising curve. When it gets to the point where the population exceeds the necessary resources to maintain the population at a static number (It will probably continue to go up for a short time after the limit is exceeded.) the population will crash. That will be a fairly straight line heading in a fairly vertical direction.

[Jimbob Jones]

The Earth can cope with a lot more people than it currently does; If you stood the entire population of the earth (7bn) shoulder-to-shoulder, you would just about fill Florida, but not quite. We have bountiful resource and lots of people, but, so it seems, the problem is getting those two things into the same place.

[shadowtippy]

Wouldn't it be great if they (we) would all "friend" you on Facebook?

[kserg]

Russia and Ukraine is doing its part at fixing the issue:

Ukraine: 0.8% natural decrease annually; 28% total population decrease by 2050
Russia: -0.6%; -22%
Belarus -0.6%; -12%
Bulgaria -0.5%; -34%
Latvia -0.5%; -23%
Lithuania -0.4%; -15%
Hungary -0.3%; -11%
Romania -0.2%; -29%
Estonia -0.2%; -23%
Moldova -0.2%; -21%
Croatia -0.2%; -14%
Germany -0.2%; -9%
Czech Republic -0.1%; -8%
Japan 0%; -21%
Poland 0%; -17%
Slovakia 0%; -12%
Austria 0%; 8% increase
Italy 0%; -5%
Slovenia 0%; -5%
Greece 0%; -4%



What's interesting to me is, countries with highest growth rate are among the countries with fewest life essential resources needed to sustain the population.

[jonathan_matos5]

Originally Posted by kserg

Russia and Ukraine is doing its part at fixing the issue:

Ukraine: 0.8% natural decrease annually; 28% total population decrease by 2050
Russia: -0.6%; -22%
Belarus -0.6%; -12%
Bulgaria -0.5%; -34%
Latvia -0.5%; -23%
Lithuania -0.4%; -15%
Hungary -0.3%; -11%
Romania -0.2%; -29%
Estonia -0.2%; -23%
Moldova -0.2%; -21%
Croatia -0.2%; -14%
Germany -0.2%; -9%
Czech Republic -0.1%; -8%
Japan 0%; -21%
Poland 0%; -17%
Slovakia 0%; -12%
Austria 0%; 8% increase
Italy 0%; -5%
Slovenia 0%; -5%
Greece 0%; -4%



What's interesting to me is, countries with highest growth rate are among the countries with fewest life essential resources needed to sustain the population.

i read somewhere the high birthrate has something to do with the low survival rate of infants. so people are having lots of children to compensate and in turn they are still surviving.

my theory is the inability to afford other means of entertainment leads to people turning to sex for entertainment leading to increased population by default.

[shadowtippy]

Originally Posted by jonathan_matos5

my theory is the inability to afford other means of entertainment leads to people turning to sex for entertainment leading to increased population by default.

I agree. It's not only lack of entertainment, but lack of anything at all to do: no job to go to, so little food to eat that it takes up almost no time, no income to dispose of, and lack of anything better to do than spawn more children. I'm not knocking the people in this situation that don't have the means to change things. I am happy I am not forced to exist that way.

[Texan]

Something will happen and the world population will decrease exponentially, a plague, a war, something. The Earth will begin to repair itself and the population will flourish again. Sad to think of, but it is possible.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by Texan

Something will happen and the world population will decrease exponentially, a plague, a war, something. The Earth will begin to repair itself and the population will flourish again. Sad to think of, but it is possible.

I'd say "probable" rather than "possible".. nature always seems to have a way of establishing balance
It seems to be almost like a constant theme throughout earth's history.

[skychief]

BUt the world ends on Dec 21st, 2012, so all this is moot.

[EBodious]

Originally Posted by jonathan_matos5

i read somewhere the high birthrate has something to do with the low survival rate of infants. so people are having lots of children to compensate and in turn they are still surviving.

my theory is the inability to afford other means of entertainment leads to people turning to sex for entertainment leading to increased population by default.

its also cultural factors and lack of access to/interest in 'family planning' (e.g. rubbers). as for lack of resources, i think it often has more to do with lack of access to resources.

Originally Posted by Texan

Something will happen and the world population will decrease exponentially, a plague, a war, something. The Earth will begin to repair itself and the population will flourish again. Sad to think of, but it is possible.

i learned in some high school class about 'carrying capacity.' when a species' population reaches its eco-system's limit, a major die off commences. it won't be pretty.

[sandmangeck]

Damned Breeders.

[Jay2U]

The world population takes about 40 years to double. So in 2052 there may be 14000000000 people on this planet. I don't think there are enough resources to support that many people.

[kserg]

Originally Posted by Jay2U

The world population takes about 40 years to double. So in 2052 there may be 14000000000 people on this planet. I don't think there are enough resources to support that many people.

Unless we adopt your location... under the sea, under the sea darling its better, down where its wetter, take it from me...up in the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away, while we devoting, to full time floating, under the sea...



I bring hot chicks to the thread.

[Schlyder]

Originally Posted by Jay2U

The world population takes about 40 years to double. So in 2052 there may be 14000000000 people on this planet. I don't think there are enough resources to support that many people.

and by about 2100 there will be 28 billion... give or take a few.
Not looking good for the next century, unless folks get their heads out of their orifices.

[Simo98]

Originally Posted by EBodious

i learned in some high school class about 'carrying capacity.' when a species' population reaches its eco-system's limit, a major die off commences. it won't be pretty.

One of several things happens. Generally starvation etc. causes the species to die off and stabilise its population, or migration to another location.


Mars, here we come.

[kserg]

Originally Posted by Simo98

One of several things happens. Generally starvation etc. causes the species to die off and stabilise its population, or migration to another location.


Mars, here we come.

Lets go find ourselves some Class M planet...

May i suggest several options:
Cardassia, Valcum, Metazed, Romulus, Bajar or Qo'noS.

What? i am not a geek!

[Jay2U]

Originally Posted by kserg

Lets go find ourselves some Class M planet...

May i suggest several options:
Cardassia, Valcum, Metazed, Romulus, Bajar or Qo'noS.

What? i am not a geek!

Planet Zortawb would be fine, if we find a way around the Gnorks. BTW I'm not living in the sea, but below sea level.

[skychief]

Originally Posted by Simo98

Mars, here we come.

Gets really cold there. Not to mention no OXYGEN!!! & the water supply?? Aint gonna happen.

[kserg]

Originally Posted by skychief

Gets really cold there. Not to mention no OXYGEN!!! & the water supply?? Aint gonna happen.

All we have to do is start the reactor... duh!