Is the Planet Full? What We Need to Know about Overpopulation | Peter Uetz
The human population reached eight billion people in 2022 and may reach ten billion later this century. A relatively small (and rich) fraction of those billions are able to cause climate change at a global scale. However, with so much focus on the challenges of climate change, another catastrophe is unfolding without most people noticing: the loss of nature as we know it.
Uetz has spent decades studying and writing about systems biology and the natural world and his article on “Myths About Overpopulation” is featured in the latest issue of Free Inquiry. This presentation will address the most challenging question humanity has ever faced: Are we too many and is nature losing out?
Пікірлер: 9
The US is indeed overpopulated.
I am around 1/2 way through and it sounds like we could sustain a heck of a lot more people if people in the developed world wanted to live mostly on plants and have a lifestyle more like people from India. It would likely wreck most of the world’s ecosystems and and make us a mass extinction event worse than the big rock that took out the dinosaurs but there is a lot of land in the world that is as habitable as the highly populated parts of India which is 10x as populous as the US. We would have to use a lot of energy just to get water in a lot of places but if we didn’t care about the environment or human welfare all that much we should be able to sustain tens of billions of people on earth with current technology.
@MrBlob187
Ай бұрын
While this may be possible, even in the long run as population peaks at one point, we probably would destroy most ecosystems and biodiversity along with it. I don't know thats something achievable.
This guy with the smirk and disparaging comments about poor people has obviously not read Julius Lincoln Simon's book 'The Ultimate Resource 2 ' even though he did a 2 liner in his second slide about Julius.
@shishirkumarsingh
Ай бұрын
And what does Julius say in his book about the population bomb 💣? Here it is: The Ultimate Resource 2" is an influential work that challenges common perceptions about overpopulation and scarcity. Simon argues that human ingenuity and technological innovation consistently outpace population growth, leading to greater abundance and prosperity. He contends that people are the ultimate resource, capable of solving the challenges posed by population growth and environmental issues through innovation and adaptation. Overall, the book emphasizes the power of human creativity and the potential for unlimited progress.
@peteruetz9140
Ай бұрын
@@shishirkumarsingh Simon was right in that most resources are not really limited (as far as human needs are concerned). However, like most economists, he did not have biodiversity or nature on his radar screen and thus was totally wrong (or rather ignorant) about human impact on nature.