But, but, they missed the real problem: overpopulation. We have exceeded the viable world population in many areas. Reduction in the birth rate or decrease in the survival rate will be required for a sustainable population long term. China one child policy works. It will need to be a world one child policy or a one couple one child. This would lead to wider diversity in the gene pool. If you want a second child, you meed to find a second mate. Less inheritance, more diversity. Oh, well.
What is the evidence for overpopulation? Look at the big cities in the west, or anywhere in the east. We need to modify agriculture to feed the people, and then we are eating survival foods, not proper human foods. Water, look at California, the interior plains, and the contamination of the planet, global warming, etc. We can extend the earth capacity a bit, but how much and for how long? A years famine will wake the world up.
In the sixties, overpopulation was a concern, as was food supply. We only have a "few days" of fresh supply ahead, but oh well, we have a year of survival foods. Water may be a bigger issue, as we are depleting the fresh aquifers in many areas. Fossil fuels to end by 2100. Ya sure, not likely. These will become more expensive, as the supply gets short, unless someone is desperate for money or has a political agenda. But then what do I know? It will not be the issue in my lifetime, for I am past my best by date.
No government but China has taken on this problem. The pope is yodeling about fossil fuel, but is resistant to population growth control. Islam thinks it is there right to reproduce like rabbits or rats, but they also have the right to starve. Oh well. Shit happens. It would be political suicide to suggest that we do something about the problem.
Religions in general depend on ignorance of how to live, what is good and evil, and on the lack of philosophy in schools. Stoicism should be taught as a subject, for it's fundamental beliefs are logic and reasoning is our supreme characteristic. We are here to flourish, and to do that we must all work together, else we will not prosper long term. Short term we can do well as individuals, but long term every individual expires or are returned to whence they came.
Enough; Jasper elk a few years ago in the fall.
In 1979 California had a state population of 23.26 million. In 2014 that number was 38.8 million. An increase of over 15.5 million. But because of environmental laws...no new dams or reservoirs have been built in 40 years. The California drought is in part caused by politically correctness.
ReplyDeleteIf open water storage had been allowed to keep pace with the population growth, maybe the drought would not be as severe. On the other hand, limiting every couple to one child per couple may have also solved the water shortage problem.
We have two choices, modify our environment to support more people, or control the population. In California there is still a choice, while in much of the world, there is little choice.
ReplyDeleteNote that the population of California is slightly greater population than all of Canada, but we here only get slightly over 100 frost free days for growing. Oh well.
There is a third choice that hasn't been explored. Forced relocation of the masses. It has happened in the past. Governments force people off their lands to suit their purposes all the time. As you pointed out...the population of California is slightly greater than all of Canada. Canada is rich in natural resources and lacking in humans. I read that the population density of Canada is 3.4 per square km. The U.S. is 33 per square km and California has a population density of 95 per square km.
DeleteIt could be a jobs creation exchange program. California could send Canada our poor, uneducated, with no employable job skills and English as their second language...and Canada could provide job training in the timber industry. Also in exchange, through the NAFTA, California could ship more fresh produce to Canada. Just a thought.
Our natural resources, yes. The cost of oil extraction is so high that we lose money on ever barrel currently. Then there is the short seasons in some areas, and unbearable winter in some regions, and no roads. Most of Canada population is with 350 miles of the US border. If one goes north of that, you really need to want to be there, 9 months of the year. And then there is the bugs. They are worse that any third world country I have ever been in.
DeleteMost of our fresh produce comes from Mexico now. US is to expensive. We can produce and live quite well on Canadian vegetables that keep well, and we grow fine beef and pork.
Our timber industry needs robot programers, and button loader operators to run machines from keyboard like panels. The wood is not touched by humans anymore. We have surplus of unskilled and poor mes, unmotivated human shapes we support on the dole. To be counted as unemployed here you need to be looking for work and on EI or working. Anyone else is just not counted. Human detritus. Oh well, shit happens.
By the way, NAFTA is a dirty word here, and in some places so are American citizens. I note that there are areas that cars with US license plates are frequently vandalized. There are big parts of this country that I will not even go, but then I want to live.
Je suis choqué
Delete(Just kidding)