Environment & Energy

NickB79

(20,304 posts)

7. So how have the other population controls worked out?

Fri Apr 26, 2013, 02:50 PM

Apr 2013

Oh, that's right, they haven't, at all. We MIGHT level off at 8-10 billion people by 2050, if the current demographic predictions are correct (and that's making a shit-ton of bad assumptions about reliable food and fuel supplies in the face of fossil declines and global warming), but by then we'll have been in overshoot for so long and depleted the planet's natural resources so completely, that the crash will be mind-boggling.

I agree that it sucks, but food supply constraints are the only consistently reliable way any organism's population has been constrained for long periods of time. We like to imagine humans are different than other species on this planet because we can think and reason, but so far we haven't shown that to be true.

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Nitrogen fertilizer is bad stuff — and not just because it could blow up your town [View all] xchrom Apr 2013 OP

The bad news can be overwhelming sometimes bloomington-lib Apr 2013 #1

It takes first-world blinders to see nitrogen fixation (Haber process) as anything but a miracle. wtmusic Apr 2013 #2

It is what made it possible to grow our population to 7+ billion NickB79 Apr 2013 #4

Actually sex is what made it possible. wtmusic Apr 2013 #5

So how have the other population controls worked out? NickB79 Apr 2013 #7

Wrong. wtmusic Apr 2013 #9

In 1978, China had 950 million people NickB79 Apr 2013 #10

The effect of China's program was one out of every two births was prevented. wtmusic Apr 2013 #11

Yes, it has been wildly successful NickB79 Apr 2013 #12

You would be willing to let members of your family starve to support this goal wtmusic Apr 2013 #13

An appeal to emotion fallacy NickB79 Apr 2013 #14

No, it isn't. wtmusic Apr 2013 #15

That's unfair pscot Apr 2013 #16

Let's ask Nick. wtmusic Apr 2013 #18

The thing is, Supply constraints may not be negotiable pscot Apr 2013 #19

so you're saying there is no environmental damage from nitrogen pollution? CreekDog Apr 2013 #8

nitrogen is not "green" wet.hen88 Apr 2013 #3

Meanwhile we send all our urine down the drain. eom roody Apr 2013 #6

I get it. ConcernedCanuk Apr 2013 #21

Unless you like starvation, it's wonderful stuff n/t Yo_Mama Apr 2013 #17

national geographic article wet.hen88 Apr 2013 #20