as the worlds population rises, pressure is now being put on energy/food/materials... demand for raw materials like metal is at an all time high. theres no more 'set aside' in farming anymore as the demand for wheat is soaring. energy... electricity, oil, coal, gas... is at an all time high with energy bills and petrol also at an all time high.

 

why?... simple economics.... demand outstrips supply = price rises.

 

this is bad for the future... you only have to lookat africa to see what happens when a country cannot support its population..... famine and starvation.

 

the world CANNOT go on increasing its population, theres simply a finite number of people the planet can support.

 

the future looks bleak.....

What can be done though ?

 

The chinese have a restriction on the number of kids someone can have but it would be impossible to police effectively

 

Previous generations have had big wars that have resulted in a big population cull but that doesn't happen these days

 

The catholic church reforming and accepting contraception would help but I fail to see what solution there is for the population explosion

There are enough resources to sustain the current poplation and, indeed, a higher population. However, those of us in the developed world are guilty of massive over-consumption. Some estimates suggest that we throw away as much as one third of the food we buy. We throw away huge amounts of packaging which could be reused or recycled - or, preferably, not produced in the first place.

 

If we use the resources we've got more sensibly, there's plenty to go round.

There is not much that can be done...The worlds population is sustainable, and that is why it is rising. Yes it causes problems....

The population will keep rising for many years to come, which is Ok if its at a controlled rate. However the danger is that the population might increase exponentially at a vastly increased rate, due to better medicine keeping more people alive, increase number of births in developing world plus we are just living longer.

 

If we cannot produce the food in larger quantities then there is a possibility that in the future wars will be about food not oil, lack of food will mean deaths in far greater numbers than today, and the population will decline.

 

As you said simple economics, until we get back to supply equals demand.

the current population might be sustainable, indeed there might be room for a modest increase... (although theres so much poverty in the world this is debateable). the point is that we cannot go on increasing the population of the world. theres big enough problems here in the uk since poland invaded us...:lol:

 

prices of basic foodstuffs like wheat is pushing up prices of bread, cerials etc. demand for energy is rising so the prices will...

 

i can see a time where there will be an underclass of people who just cant afford to drive, heat their homes and even eat!!!!

 

trouble looms in the not too distant future...

I honestly think the problem will sort itself out on its own.... but when it becomes seriously urgent and too late

I have to completely agree with Rob, the planet was simply not meant to maintain over six billion of us, we ARE a parasitical, selfish, greedy species who are simply refusing to live in harmony with the planet like the other species of life on this planet... The Earth is NOT ours, it has NOT been created by a "God" purely to house US... Humans have only existed on this planet for the equivalent of a universal blink of an eye, there were species that existed LONG before we did (eg, the dinosaurs and look what happened to THEM when they got "too big" for the planet..) and there will be species that will come to be the dominant species LONG after we've made ourselves extinct with our greed, our stupidity and our idiotic, self-destructive behaviours... Frankly, we deserve extinction if this is how we treat our mother (earth)... <_<

 

As for the whole food issue, in the western world we throw out TONS of food every day, it's absolutely ridiculous.. But look at any supermarket in any high street or edge-of-town complex, the amount of wasteage is disgusting... There is more than enough food to feed the entire planet in my view, but we in the West are overproducing and greedy (certainly greedier than most), and the irony is, that we actually IMPORT a lot of our food from the bloody THIRD WORLD FFS!!!!! No wonder they cant feed themselves, we exploit their farmers and take it from them....

 

Overpopulation and unfettered Globalised Capitalism which exploits the poor are the world's two biggest problems as I see it....

lol.. nice to see we agree on summut scott... well said.. trouble is, how can this problem be remedied?

 

i think the united nations ought to address this problem and draw up a long term strategy to cope. you are right, we are parasites , a disease, slowly bleeding the planet dry, we wont be satisfied until we have killed it.

Well hopefully the poorer countries will become more developed, meaning as the population gets more educated the birth rate will get much lower.

Well hopefully the poorer countries will become more developed, meaning as the population gets more educated the birth rate will get much lower.

 

 

but as they 'develop' they also increase their consumption.

 

Whilst some 3rd world countires have large population - each member of that population no doubt contributes less to the destruction of the planet than each child born in the Uk or USA - 'disposible' nappies - toys - 5 year olds with mobile phones - designer clothes ..... need I go on?

 

We should look a lot closer to home than blaming other countries - this poor planet of ours could sustain a larger population - if that population didn't need K-Swiss trainers and McDonalds!! (and ok yes - skiing holiday :cry:)

but as they 'develop' they also increase their consumption.

 

Whilst some 3rd world countires have large population - each member of that population no doubt contributes less to the destruction of the planet than each child born in the Uk or USA - 'disposible' nappies - toys - 5 year olds with mobile phones - designer clothes ..... need I go on?

 

We should look a lot closer to home than blaming other countries - this poor planet of ours could sustain a larger population - if that population didn't need K-Swiss trainers and McDonalds!! (and ok yes - skiing holiday :cry:)

 

absolutely, plus with better health care premature/infant deaths will be reduced so the population could boom!

 

i was addressing this topic as a worldwide issue which includes us in the uk. indeed, consumerism and our desire to have luxurious items certainly dont help the planet one bit and it only gives us a 'cheap fix' .

 

i for one am totally unimpressed by some clown bragging that their outfit costs several hundered pounds... my own daughter has a handbag, A FCUKIN HANDBAG FFS that cost £800!!!!!

i for one am totally unimpressed by some clown bragging that their outfit costs several hundered pounds... my own daughter has a handbag, A FCUKIN HANDBAG FFS that cost £800!!!!!

 

I'd be ashamed to admit that I spent £800 quid on a sodding BAG!!!! :lol: :lol: - Not that I ever would anyway... About the most expensive single item of clothing that I shelled out for was £200 quid for a really nice full-length leather trenchcoat about six years back, AND I still wear it, so, it aint as if I've just worn it for a bit and then consigned it to my wardrobe when it became "unfashionable" or whatever....

 

Was it a present, or did she actually pay for it...?

 

but as they 'develop' they also increase their consumption.

 

Exactly, the example of China is a pretty good one here... On the surface it all seems nice and shiny, the Chinese economy booming, the rise of a Chinese middle class, China becoming a major player in the financial world.. But scratch below the surface, and you see the rather unacceptable costs both to the environment (large parts of the Yangtze river have now become so polluted that actually drinking the water would kill you instantly, and marine life has been decimated..) and to many people living outside the major urban areas..

 

I'd feel a lot less suspicious about "economic development" if it didn't seem to equate to multinational corporations going into Tertiary States and basically asset-stripping those countries' resources....

There are enough resources to sustain the current poplation and, indeed, a higher population. However, those of us in the developed world are guilty of massive over-consumption. Some estimates suggest that we throw away as much as one third of the food we buy. We throw away huge amounts of packaging which could be reused or recycled - or, preferably, not produced in the first place.

 

If we use the resources we've got more sensibly, there's plenty to go round.

 

Exactly. There is enough for everyone but greedy people take more than their fair share. :angry:

I'd be ashamed to admit that I spent £800 quid on a sodding BAG!!!! :lol: :lol: - Not that I ever would anyway... About the most expensive single item of clothing that I shelled out for was £200 quid for a really nice full-length leather trenchcoat about six years back, AND I still wear it, so, it aint as if I've just worn it for a bit and then consigned it to my wardrobe when it became "unfashionable" or whatever....

 

Was it a present, or did she actually pay for it...?

 

paid... unfortunately shes materialistic and i bet that in 6 months she will be sporting another one <_< much against daddys wishes .

Exactly. There is enough for everyone but greedy people take more than their fair share. :angry:

 

no thats NOT the point..... the point is that given the oportunity, EVERYONE would be consuming... so feed the needy.... theyll live longer, have more kids and the pressure upon the planet will become unsustainable. im NOT saying we in the west shouldnt curb our consumption... yes we clearly should, but distributing wealth without a proper system of sustainable birth control will only exasperate the situation.

paid... unfortunately shes materialistic and i bet that in 6 months she will be sporting another one <_< much against daddys wishes .

 

Hang on, is this the same daughter who moans about struggling to pay her rent....? :lol: :lol:

Hang on, is this the same daughter who moans about struggling to pay her rent....? :lol: :lol:

 

lol..... ive only got one! :lol:

absolutely, plus with better health care premature/infant deaths will be reduced so the population could boom!

 

i was addressing this topic as a worldwide issue which includes us in the uk. indeed, consumerism and our desire to have luxurious items certainly dont help the planet one bit and it only gives us a 'cheap fix' .

 

i for one am totally unimpressed by some clown bragging that their outfit costs several hundered pounds... my own daughter has a handbag, A FCUKIN HANDBAG FFS that cost £800!!!!!

 

 

£600 actually.