For years I've been saying that many of the world's problems are a direct result of overpopulation. Not enough oil, environmental damage, too much traffic, not enough water, you name it. I just feel that we're taking more than the Earth has to give, and for it we will all suffer in one way or another.

I feel so strongly about this that I currently don't plan on having children. Every child born is likely going to produce more and more children someday. Couple that with the fact that we're living longer (http://www.evoxforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=289), and poof - we've got way too many people on our planet.

This guy discusses some radical ideas, some of which are a bit absurd, but his point rings true - We need to significantly lower the birth rate, or we're doomed.

Be sure to click on "show transcript"
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ockhamsrazor/stories/2006/1807002.htm#

i think men should be given vasectomies at birth. you then have to pass tests to prove you are able to provide a stable/good home, and economically provide for a child to get the procedure reversed. otherwise you shoot blanks. then we dont have ppl with 12 baby mommas and shit

Funny how most kids are probably born due to unplanned pregnancies.

indeed. and those that dont plan tend to have the most :(

Exactly.

my method is brilliantly simple. vasectomy while getting circumcised, or if you dont believe in circumcision, then just a vasectomy. 99% of men would be able to have children, bearing they pass their tests :)

Not a bad idea in theory, but good luck getting the public to accept that.

we will have to do something eventually

True. But I think an idea along my lines would be easier to convince people with at first. And it might be enough to slow it down for awhile.

We could also have more free birth control, and free vasectomies.

free birth control is out there. its easy to get. its convincing the people that dont use it, and contribute the most to the strain on our resources, that we have to convince to use

I also feel that overpopulation is what is contributing to this radical theory of global warming. Think about it. Go to a party or something. Put 15 people in a single room that isn't too big. What happens? It gets hot. Humans are just big heat pumps. Using your two ideas, I bet this "global warming trend" would go away quick.

And by quick, I mean a 2-3 degree drop over the next 10 years.

free birth control is out there. its easy to get. its convincing the people that dont use it, and contribute the most to the strain on our resources, that we have to convince to use

This is true.

However, many people refuse to use the free clinics because many of them are a little sketchy. We'd need more of them, and nicer ones.

I also feel that overpopulation is what is contributing to this radical theory of global warming.

Definitely.

Think about it. Go to a party or something. Put 15 people in a single room that isn't too big. What happens? It gets hot. Humans are just big heat pumps. Using your two ideas, I bet this "global warming trend" would go away quick.

Well, body heat aside, those 15 people still have to drive there, had to eat foods that day (which were driven to the store, and which took heat and energy to create), etc etc. It's a domino effect.

We need less people on this planet. Period.

you can't tell people in the US anything, it is their right to breed uncontrollably.

Sorry man but you put for piss poor solution. There are so many other things we could improve upon BEFORE overpopulation because a big problem but its not in our society to be preventive... just reactive.

you can't tell people in the US anything, it is their right to breed uncontrollably.

:sigh:

tell me about it.

Sorry man but you put for piss poor solution. There are so many other things we could improve upon BEFORE overpopulation because a big problem but its not in our society to be preventive... just reactive.

Can you reword that? I'm confused.

Also, if you get a vasectomy, you will get an iPhone (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/true-story/man-goes-through-vasectomy-to-get-iphone-285598.php).

Control the population. Get a neat phone.

Can you reword that? I'm confused.

:iagree:

Also, if you get a vasectomy, you will get an iPhone (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/true-story/man-goes-through-vasectomy-to-get-iphone-285598.php).

Control the population. Get a neat phone.

WTF? promotions now?

next you are going to tell me that women get a new Prada bag with every abortion....

Overpopulation is not an issue its of inefficient use of resources and space. Imagine is we really started funding solar panel research 15 years ago. Think if mass transit existed everywhere and people could get to work without the need of a car. When we start playing a preventive role acknowledge the possibility for a problem we can head it off before becomes an issue. The MAIN problem with this country is that special interests have convinced people that their is pointless and so 15% of the country makes the choices we live by.

Simply pointing finger the at overpopulation is ridiculous. It another excuse for our problems not a solution.

WTF? promotions now?

next you are going to tell me that women get a new Prada bag with every abortion....

LOL, that would only create more pregnancies.

Maybe a Prada bag with each set of tied tubes.

Man...I wish I was a billionaire...i'd actually run a promotion like this.

Overpopulation is not an issue its of inefficient use of resources and space.

I disagree. While it's probably a combination of both, we're still ultimately limited by our planet.

Consider the Earth a hard drive. It can only hold so much data. Now, you can use different compression methods on said data and make it more efficient to store said data. But ultimately, if we continue to add data (read: kids) and delay the process of deleting data (read: making people live longer), we're going to fill up that hard drive sooner or later.

Imagine is we really started funding solar panel research 15 years ago. Think if mass transit existed everywhere and people could get to work without the need of a car. When we start playing a preventive role acknowledge the possibility for a problem we can head it off before becomes an issue.

Agreed, but other issues will always pop up when you have too many people.

Simply pointing finger the finer at overpopulation is ridiculous. It another excuse for our problems not a solution.


How is it not a solution? If our population was halved overnight, the planet would immediately start to recover.

I disagree. While it's probably a combination of both, we're still ultimately limited by our planet.

Consider the Earth a hard drive. It can only hold so much data. Now, you can use different compression methods on said data and make it more efficient to store said data. But ultimately, if we continue to add data (read: kids) and delay the process of deleting data (read: making people live longer), we're going to fill up that hard drive sooner or later.

Correct but applying my basic idea you would better utilize this space.

Using your comparison
http://piticstyle.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/1.jpg

Here's a 5mb hard drive from 1956... remember the days when they said having a computer at home would require you to have a room dedicated to the hardware? If we continue to learn how to store more data in a smaller place we could keep up with the growth. Which is why a TB can sit comfortably in my closet.


Agreed, but other issues will always pop up when you have too many people.

Of course those are just a few very basic example... you have to be proactive not reactive.


How is it not a solution? If our population was halved overnight, the planet would immediately start to recover.

Again we can all sit around and have an idea that "might" work(while limiting peoples freedom at the same time) but we have so many other problems that sometimes if you fix those "other" problems you might find this overpopulation problem fix itself.

disease and starvation in third world countries isn't from overpopulation, it is from lack of food and clean water.

This is population fixing itself.

disease and starvation in third world countries isn't from overpopulation, it is from lack of food and clean water.

This is population fixing itself.

What?

Just look at countries that cannot support thier population...

Too many people
+
No food or clean water
=
disease and starvation

This is an example of the land supporting only what it can, right?

What?

I meant to add global population.

Because eventually Kooldinos Hard drive theory will fill every nook and cranny, (inhabitable or not) with people, and the lack of food and water would do us in.

A third world country is a small scale example.

Correct but applying my basic idea you would better utilize this space.

Using your comparison
http://piticstyle.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/1.jpg

Here's a 5mb hard drive from 1956... remember the days when they said having a computer at home would require you to have a room dedicated to the hardware? If we continue to learn how to store more data in a smaller place we could keep up with the growth. Which is why a TB can sit comfortably in my closet.


Yes, but you're breaking the analogy. In my analogy, the hard disk is what's fixed in size, just like our earth is fixed in size. The variable is the storage techniques ie, the efficiency at which we use the earth.

Of course those are just a few very basic example... you have to be proactive not reactive.

Right, and being proactive would be slowing the birth rate. Just like if you're filling up your hard disk, stop downloading pronz at such an alarming rate.

Again we can all sit around and have an idea that "might" work(while limiting peoples freedom at the same time) but we have so many other problems that sometimes if you fix those "other" problems you might find this overpopulation problem fix itself.

Well, I myself am not trying to limit people's freedom. If you want to have 10 kids, have 10 kids. But expect to pay heavy taxes to do so.

but...i like porn :(

it ok, just start burning it to disks!

it ok, just start burning it to disks!

...but we don't yet have the technology to colonize the moon, venus, and mars.

I don't think the first world countries are the major problem in planet overpopulation. Look at this graph: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/WorldPopulatoin.png

Europe and North America are trending down, which is a problem. It's the developing nations where the problems are as far as overpopulation, and the fact is most of the places where there are too many people there isn't enough money so they aren't all burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation they're just trying to find something to eat.

Now I enjoy a good "the end of the world as we know it" prediction as much as the next guy, but I think you could probably pick any one of the ones from exit mundi (http://www.exitmundi.nl/) and have about as much of a chance of being right as the next guy.

Although, looking at this graph about planet extinction events (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/Phanerozoic_Biodiversity.png) I would say we about due for some serious death and destruction whatever the cause may be. ;)

I don't think the first world countries are the major problem in planet overpopulation. Look at this graph: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/WorldPopulatoin.png


Wow, great find. I'm not all that surprised though...since technically, India and China are both in Asia. AFAIK, both of those countries have out of control birth rates.

Europe and North America are trending down, which is a problem. It's the developing nations where the problems are as far as overpopulation, and the fact is most of the places where there are too many people there isn't enough money so they aren't all burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation they're just trying to find something to eat.

Yes and no. I mean, look at China for instance. Biggest country in the world (population wise). The price of resources and raw materials has risen sharply in recent years due to the fact that they're developing. They're building a few large cities which is wiping out the supply of metals and such. Automobiles in China are becoming more common, which will end up polluting more and using more of the oil that is already becoming scarce.

At the end of the day, China's overpopulation coupled with their transition into an economic superpower is really beginning to put a strain on the rest of the world.

Now I enjoy a good "the end of the world as we know it" prediction as much as the next guy, but I think you could probably pick any one of the ones from exit mundi (http://www.exitmundi.nl/) and have about as much of a chance of being right as the next guy.

Saw that site awhile back. Interesting stuff.

I fully recognize that there are dozens of likely scenarios for the end of life as we know it, but my point is that overpopulation can be a significant contributing factor in many of those scenarios.


Although, looking at this graph about planet extinction events (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/Phanerozoic_Biodiversity.png) I would say we about due for some serious death and destruction whatever the cause may be. ;)

LOL.

PS - welcome to the forums.

Wow, great find. I'm not all that surprised though...since technically, India and China are both in Asia. AFAIK, both of those countries have out of control birth rates.

I've researched this subject before, I find it fascinating. There are more graphs on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population that you should look at. The one I find particularly interesting is
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Population_curve.svg


Yes and no. I mean, look at China for instance. Biggest country in the world (population wise). The price of resources and raw materials has risen sharply in recent years due to the fact that they're developing. They're building a few large cities which is wiping out the supply of metals and such. Automobiles in China are becoming more common, which will end up polluting more and using more of the oil that is already becoming scarce.

At the end of the day, China's overpopulation coupled with their transition into an economic superpower is really beginning to put a strain on the rest of the world.

This is an interesting point, as ultimately the world population will be limited by available resources. I just found this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation and it's a very good read on this subject.


I fully recognize that there are dozens of likely scenarios for the end of life as we know it, but my point is that overpopulation can be a significant contributing factor in many of those scenarios.

I don't disagree, but I presume the effects of overpopulation will ultimately work themselves out (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malthusian_catastrophe). I don't know that there is anything anyone can do to stop overpopulation since we're all born with the ability to make more babies, it's fun to make them, and as stated earlier in this thread there isn't a society in the world that would accept temporary sterilization at birth (assuming 100% of vasectomies could be reversed, which is factually false.)

PS - welcome to the forums.

Thanks! :D

The one I find particularly interesting is
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Population_curve.svg


Dear God!

I wonder how credible that is though...how accurate was the census 2000 years ago?

This is an interesting point, as ultimately the world population will be limited by available resources. I just found this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation and it's a very good read on this subject.

I agree. Overpopulation is definitely resource bound, not necessarily space or area bound.

I don't disagree, but I presume the effects of overpopulation will ultimately work themselves out (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malthusian_catastrophe) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malthusian_catastrophe%29). I don't know that there is anything anyone can do to stop overpopulation since we're all born with the ability to make more babies, it's fun to make them, and as stated earlier in this thread there isn't a society in the world that would accept temporary sterilization at birth (assuming 100% of vasectomies could be reversed, which is factually false.)

^That looks like a heavy enough read that I don't want to dive into at 5:15 AM after a long night out on the town. I'll tackle that tomorrow. :)