Overpopulation - Page 2 - OG Myth-Weavers

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Worldly Talk

Civil discussion and debate on real world events and issues.


Overpopulation

 
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Water may indeed become a problem, but I doubt it. We waste a lot of it now, if it becomes scarce then we will only use what we need and culture will shift away from big swimming pools and daily showers.
That is, if national identity is pervasive enough that people accept change with the times and continue to live and work where they may, laws don't become too obscenely tight over minor slights and people, roused by a couple charismatic 'counter-cultures' ideals, don't rebel violently. We're already seeing a lot of that (excepting violence). Some cultures, even large ones, might not make the transition.

What does any of that have to do with the fact we will tend to waste less water as the price goes up?

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Originally Posted by silveroak View Post
What does any of that have to do with the fact we will tend to waste less water as the price goes up?
Because most people want to get rid of all their sewage, to put it simply. Instead of, say, some, or most. All.

We already complain about gas prices, but not everyone drives. That's the only thing we've actually felt from oil, despite it running the economy. I mean, everywhere else it's just 'huh, this item is no longer a deal'. However, the common man's eyes are hotly placed upon gas prices. One day, it'll be 'my toilet tank is filling far too friggin' slowly! I gotta pee right now!' or 'it flushes too weak and I got whipe away the sewage with a toilet brush again!'. Next thing you know, toilet brushes will go up in price. :P

I think, ultimately, cultures come, go & adapt. Survival of the fittest rule: If the world has an overpopulation problem, I expect two different kinds of responses: 1) Fertility rate drops because of changes in culture, what's 'acceptable' and contraception. 2) Government intervention with maybe a 'two child per couple' policy.

In the greater scheme of things, I have faith we will know when we need to hit the breaks.

Earthbound - and if the people don't accept those changes, then I suppose war resolves everything?

When it comes to hitting the breaks, we'd better hope it's a really powerful emergency break that doesn't jostle the ribs too much on impact.

We're not overpopulated at the moment and there's enough food to go round - it's just a case of distribution. There are far more obese people than starving ones for example.

Birth rates in industrial nations have gone down as infant mortality dropped and various things (most notably the Pill) have come in.

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Originally Posted by impfireball View Post
We already complain about gas prices, but not everyone drives.
However most people use buses or railway systems that frequently operate on oil products. A higher price of oil goes through to the consumer of those.

Everyone keeps talking about government restrictions, but most countries this is not necessary. As overcrowding becomes predominant incidents of homosexuality go up- this has been documented in both rats and human populations. inherant to overpopulation is a greater opportunity for disease to flourish. Plus there are individual choices to be made- it is clearly economically advantagous to have fewer children rather than more in any developed country, it doesn't require government regulation to point this out. If water becomes scarce, food will become scarce, and the human body does not reproduce as easilly when it is malnourished.
War is only the result when we feel like we are overpopulated even though resources are abundant- a need to expand our territory. And wars are more and mre being fought between machines and poor non-industrialized countries. If we followed the ancient model of enslaving and integrating the countries we conquered it would probably be better for them in the long run than the nation building we try and do now- yes I know we don't do slavery anymore (and one could argue the problem was hereditary slavery, not slavery in and of itself, but I digress), but even if the conquered land were auctioned off as new terrirories it would help both with the debt and with the ability of those countries to develop up to our standards of living.

As to oil, yes everyone still drives or uses the bus- but if you haven't noticed gas mileage is a much bigger selling point on cars now, and more electric vehicles are being sold.

world war III.......... problem of overpopulation finished

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Originally Posted by rob98926 View Post
world war III.......... problem of overpopulation finished
Unlikely, or did you forget that the largest generation of US births (can't speak for other countries) came directly after WW2?




 

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