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[Nickbat]

when i was born in '69 the population on earth was less than 4bn, now, its nearly 7bn.

It'll be fine tho, just so long as no one needs any oil.

Oh, and I'd look at the increasingly aging population everywhere, people are working to provide for more and more dependents.

I have no doubt that the west will be OK tho....so who cares 

Plenty of room for more in the UK for example, no one has a problem with that do they? 

The population is set to peak at around 9bn. Fertility/birth rates are falling in most areas except for Africa. The problem of an aging population will, in the future, need to be compensated by those of working age which will be in shorter supply.

Oil is not going to run out anytime soon. There are an estimated 2 trillion barrels beneath the Rockies in Utah & Colorado; plus a likelihood of further deposits beneath unsurveyed land.

Bad news for the Mathusians & doom mongers. Fine for the rest of us.   

[Lizzie_Zoom]

I am not going to post quotes, as in fact I rarely do!  But I remember listening to many different scientists of various persuasions who were singing from the same hymn sheet.

A world population of 9 billion that we are heading to is unsustainable.  The world can only provide something like 1.5 acres per person of food producing land, but already western countries are using 2.6 acres per person, and it is only the fact that African countries and those in the east average 0.9 acres means we can presently cope with the 6 billion people in the world.  9 billion therefore is unsusportable.

I rememeber the scientists pointing out that it is the issue of usable land being available that is the problem.  Why?  because there is only so much water available, and already the water tables in the places growing huge amounts of food for western markets, like India, is declinling at an extremely fast rate.  Wells are going deeper and deeper to find that water, and it is predicted it will all go in a relatively short space of time.  Those lands will then not only be unable to provide food for the west, but also will not do so for their own people.

Result; mass starvation, beyond that witnessed around the world already!  With the climate in a current process of heating up then the situation can only get worse.

No, we have got to face the fact that the human race is becoming too large, and a major 'reduction' by Nature itself is regrettfully the answer, and no doubt God has got that in hand!  'Reductions' resulting through plagues and war have taken place throughout history, and the Great Leveller is due to strike anytime!

Now what is that super volcano up you.............?

  

[Nickbat]

A world population of 9 billion that we are heading to is unsustainable.  The world can only provide something like 1.5 acres per person of food producing land, but already western countries are using 2.6 acres per person, and it is only the fact that African countries and those in the east average 0.9 acres means we can presently cope with the 6 billion people in the world.  9 billion therefore is unsusportable.  

From the linked article:

Interestingly, another detailed report on "sustainability" published last week by the French national agricultural and development research agencies came up with the same answer. The French scientists set themselves the goal of discovering whether a global population of 9 billion, the likely peak according to the UN, could readily have access to 3,000 calories a day....their answer was..."yes".

You seem to know more than the French research agencies, Lizzie. I bow to your expertise in this field. 

[Dishevelled Den]

...//usable land being available//...    ...//only so much water available//...

  

I think these are important points.

[Chris_H]

I strongly suspect there are enough resources to support enormous populations, just a lack of willingness to share them.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

A world population of 9 billion that we are heading to is unsustainable.  The world can only provide something like 1.5 acres per person of food producing land, but already western countries are using 2.6 acres per person, and it is only the fact that African countries and those in the east average 0.9 acres means we can presently cope with the 6 billion people in the world.  9 billion therefore is unsusportable.  

From the linked article:

Interestingly, another detailed report on "sustainability" published last week by the French national agricultural and development research agencies came up with the same answer. The French scientists set themselves the goal of discovering whether a global population of 9 billion, the likely peak according to the UN, could readily have access to 3,000 calories a day....their answer was..."yes".

You seem to know more than the French research agencies, Lizzie. I bow to your expertise in this field. 

Not my expertise Nick, but that of internationally renouned scientists.  The French scientists may have a different view, but scientists always do!!


However, as I stated, God and nature will sort it all out!

[Lizzie_Zoom]

..................and I will add the other worry of the scientists I am referring to is the amount of oil it also takes to produce and distribute the food we eat and will require in the future.

I don't think I need to explain the oil issue.........reducing stocks................costs................distrubution difficulties............

In short we have a looming challenge all round

[cem_devecioglu]

I'm afraid mathematical rules are certain..

the writer of this article seems to ignore 2 facts..

* resources are finite

* farming areas become useless with chemical industrial waste ..

there is only one certain solution which nasa works on it..  space colonies.. no other way..

hence the reason why they search for water/ice on the moon..

But did they check their sparks and fit winter tyres before they commenced on the journey ?

 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

:-? :-?

sorry but utter 'dangle berries'

I'm with Cem on this one. Resources are finite not infinite......and how do they arrive at the peak figure of nine billion ......why not twelve .....fifteen or twenty billion? 

[Nickbat]

:-? :-?

sorry but utter 'dangle berries'

I'm with Cem on this one. Resources are finite not infinite......and how do they arrive at the peak figure of nine billion ......why not twelve .....fifteen or twenty billion? 

Known existing fertility & birth rates (both falling)

[cem_devecioglu]

when i was born in '69 the population on earth was less than 4bn, now, its nearly 7bn.

It'll be fine tho, just so long as no one needs any oil.

Oh, and I'd look at the increasingly aging population everywhere, people are working to provide for more and more dependents.

I have no doubt that the west will be OK tho....so who cares 

Plenty of room for more in the UK for example, no one has a problem with that do they? 

The population is set to peak at around 9bn. Fertility/birth rates are falling in most areas except for Africa. The problem of an aging population will, in the future, need to be compensated by those of working age which will be in shorter supply.

Oil is not going to run out anytime soon. There are an estimated 2 trillion barrels beneath the Rockies in Utah & Colorado; plus a likelihood of further deposits beneath unsurveyed land.

Bad news for the Mathusians & doom mongers. Fine for the rest of us.   

my people, also middle east must have tought that
their population is not enough so they are really working hard  7/24

and as for the oil..

estimated reserve is different.. and even after an initial production test (this is done by measuring flow rates and pressure drops when you started a production well , tests done for some period)  the final production amounts highly differ than the calculated..

so, if you use the word "soon" for the next 10-15 years , yes, oil wont be depleted that much quickly.. (unless some wars happen and the arabs decide to burn the reserves like they did in Kuwait) however increasing consumption rates show that this estimated life wont go that long.. (like 100 years) :-/

[Banjax]

as Cem said at the start - we can't feed the people on the planet right now at a population of 6bn, so what makes you think feeding 9bn will be easier?

Yes, we have the technology to feed everyone, so why don't we do it right now?

Nah, we'll ignore it I reckon like we've always done in the past up to now.


Virus with shoes.

No further questions m'lud 

[albitz]

as Cem said at the start - we can't feed the people on the planet right now at a population of 6bn, so what makes you think feeding 9bn will be easier?

Yes, we have the technology to feed everyone, so why don't we do it right now?Nah, we'll ignore it I reckon like we've always done in the past up to now.


Virus with shoes.

No further questions m'lud 

Politics.

[Banjax]

as Cem said at the start - we can't feed the people on the planet right now at a population of 6bn, so what makes you think feeding 9bn will be easier?

Yes, we have the technology to feed everyone, so why don't we do it right now?Nah, we'll ignore it I reckon like we've always done in the past up to now.


Virus with shoes.

No further questions m'lud 

Politics.

so what'll change in the future? I've no doubt we can do it, I just doubt we will.....sadly 

[Nickbat]

as Cem said at the start - we can't feed the people on the planet right now at a population of 6bn, so what makes you think feeding 9bn will be easier?

Yes, we have the technology to feed everyone, so why don't we do it right now?Nah, we'll ignore it I reckon like we've always done in the past up to now.


Virus with shoes.

No further questions m'lud 

Politics.

Largely down to politics (as Albs rightly pointed out) and investment. For those who did not read the article linked (i.e. the majority I expect) may I draw your attention to the following statement:

For example, Dr Fox pointed out, in Africa, no less than half the food produced is destroyed before it reaches its local marketplace: with refrigeration and good roads, the developing world could avoid this horrendous waste.