World Population Expected To Hit 7 Billion In Late October

kkleiner writes "A new report documents the prodigious rate at which the world's population is growing. It was just 1999 when we reached 6 billion. And now within the next month or two we will have surpassed 7 billion. What does the continued increase in world population mean for humanity and for the the planet?"

Comments

Duh

[DarkOx]

What does the continued increase in world population mean for humanity and for the the planet?"

War

Re:Ehrlich was right, just a little early.

[Mindcontrolled]

And, for some miraculous reason, coincidental with the stabilization of world population, oil will replenish, as will the aquifers, the fisheries will certainly recover and the eroded topsoil will miraculously be blown back on the land, the salt water invading the coastal fertile lands will draw back, energy will be plenty all of a sudden once more, and, of course, idiots will stop spewing bullshit on slashdot, yes?

Re:Alarmism

[Mindcontrolled]

Ehrlich didn't forsee the massive productivity increase in the agricultural sector in the seventies - however, this increase had an unintended consequence. We now use 9 kJ of oil to produce 1 kJ of food. And guess what - well, don't just guess, just have a look at the oil prices and the production rates of the major fields. We are not starting to drill off-shore in the deep arctic ocean because easily available oil is aplenty.

Re:The Texas Myth

[Dr. Manhattan]

As an illustrative statement about earth maximum human occupancy, I think it puts things in perspective a bit.

Actually, I make the point that it doesn't. "Occupancy" doesn't begin to cover it. To quote:

So even at a wildly optimistic guess, 98.3% of the space you take up is just in support. Where you live is your least important use of space...

The key implication I'd hope you take away from this is that humans use a lot more land than just the square feet they are standing on. Think about how much space your house or apartment takes up, and your car and/or bike, and the place where you work, and the parks where you play, and the restaurants you go to, and the movies theaters you visit, and so on and so on. People take up a heck of a lot of room.

Then think about how much water you use, and food you eat, and various objects you use and buy and wear out. Think about the fact that space and resources are needed to supply those.

No, I don't want people to feel guilty about living. But if we're going to sensibly discuss overpopulation, we need to understand how much land people really use, and reason from that.

Re:7 Billion Zombies

[slack_justyb]

I usually don't feed trolls but I would dare say, that the majority of the Earth's population would not agree with you. Let's take a look at the two countries that make up over a third of the world. China and India... Well there's not much to look at. The people there are doing okay but far from all the nice USA vices that you have listed, except maybe the coal fired power plants.

Your message seems to be targeted to 1st world nations and I hate to break it to you, but the first world nations aren't the biggest, except maybe the US (who is 3rd in population) and Russia (who is 10th in population). The biggest nations in the world have an organic diet, basically whatever food they find. Swim only in non-chlorinated pools, or discharge channels whichever comes first. Exercise...Well that's not exactly top on their list when they are starving. Have never even heard the word chiropractor. Do not even have an option to "Big Pharma". (sarcasm) In fact look at how wonderful the people in India are doing.(/sarcasm)

When it comes down to it, if I had to choose between "clean" water and actual clean water. I'd choose the latter over crapping myself to death. I don't know where this idea of, "we're making the Earth worst," came from but the underlying point is that the Earth came built with all kinds of stuff to make our lives horrible, very, very horrible. It is through burning fossils, radiating ourselves, hacking birds with forty foot grinders, and pumping our food supply full of wonderful artificial crap; that you actually have survived long enough to type your rant on the things that have kept you alive. (AKA, it's real hard to take that jog though the fresh country air when some animal is tracking you for food, or to swim in a non-chlorinated pool when you have Polio from swimming in non-chlorinated pools)

Everything in this world has a trade-off, nothing is perfect and that includes the ecosystem with or without us. Intelligence breeds destruction as you may see it. I, however, believe that we have within our grasp the ability to ensure our own survival either on or off of this lump of rock we call Earth. There will be things that we must give up and there will be things we must accept going forward. There will always be people who cannot stand change, who fight advancement; either because they fear it or poorly understand it. You, dear troll, have no idea, nor do you care to understand. It's just easier that way isn't it? By all means, move out to the *real* country of the African savannah or the the south-central regions of Utah. Let me know how you like it.