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Expanding Human Population

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:11 pm
by Nefer
Yakumo
Member+

Culling is acceptable where population increases outstrip what the land can support What I say next may shock and of course may get editted but I am going to say it anyway. Can one positively say that the increase in human population can be supported by the planet. Should we cull human population to meet the demands of the confines of the blue planet? Carl Sagans book Billions and Billions can shed some light on the thought processes around the statement above.


The above quote is from a discussion on hunting elephants in the General WS Forum.

I think it'll be a great topic, as long as we all remember to keep cool heads & remember, no personal attacks on anyone!

Quite frankly, I think planet Earth will be just fine with out the human cull. If more people are born than can be fed, then they will simply die in poverty. No problem.

The issues that many have is that more developed countries apparently have surplus food which should be shared with the poorer ones. The problem I have with that is basic human corruption. Who'se in charge, who'll be offended if they're not, etc.

And I now leave the floor...

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:40 pm
by Matbow
In African countries which have major humanitarian problems I believe the answer is birth control. The land obviously can't support so may people, so just stop having as many kids! The logistics are obviously not easy and the Catholic church might have something to say about it but, surely thats the obvious answer?

As its late and Im tired I have a few more thoughts that I can't be bothered to properly formulate, so I just wack them down in here:

Human culling already happens. It's not called culling...its called "no resuscitation" when a patient is in hospital.

Advances in medicine also disprove the fact that "only the strongest survive"...

The advancement in genetics in the next 20 years will IMHO almost erradicate most illnesses and diseases.

Having an background in economics, I'll add in an extra thought - this debate could also be about demographics and econmic reliance - the "Pensions Gap". In too many countries around the world there are not enough workers to cover the pensions requirements of those retiring. I don't want to be working until I'm 75!

PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:28 pm
by John R
Just in responce to your pension thing mat, i read in the paper the other week that the average age of people is increasing all the time in the U.K, as you may expect, ...i can't remember the exact figures, but people who are in their 30's now, a large percentage of them will live to be over 100!