bona
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- Nov 6, 2009
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One of the most influential science advisors to the U.S. government says the human population now exceeds the planet's carrying capacity
Dr. Nina Federoff is the science and technology advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. On March 31, 2009, she told the BBC program One Planet that humans had exceeded the Earths limits of sustainability.
We have six-and-a-half-billion people on the planet, going rapidly towards seven. Were going to need a lot of inventiveness about how we use water and grow crops, she told the BBC.
The World Fact book, which is published by the CIA says, The planets population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6 billion in 2000.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the current world population is 6.8 billion. This is growing by a net 218,030 people per day, giving a projected world population of nine billion by 2040.
Paul Ehrlich, mentor of U.S. Vice President Al Gore, wrote a landmark book in 1968 called "The Population Bomb." He predicted, "We will breed ourselves into oblivion."
Thomas Malthus is a British historical figure of great note. His most studied work, "An Essay on the Principle of Population as it Affects the Future Improvements of Society, with Remarks on the Speculations of M. Godwin, M. Condorcet and Other Writers," was first published in 1798. Its thesis -- that overpopulation would destroy the world unless war, famine and disease rose to check human growth.
Malthus reasoned that, since people increase exponentially and food production only increases arithmetically, food production could not possibly hope to keep up with more and emptier stomachs. he predicted mass starvation on the eve of one of the biggest farming expansions.
Although the Earth could theoretically sustain as many as 9 or 10 billion people that would only be possible under conditions of extreme stress and poverty, and patterns clearly indicate that lower populations and lower birthrates directly correspond with higher standards of living and higher quality of life. We are currently at around 6.7 billion people, which can be supported only assuming that many live in relative poverty. For example, the Earth could only support around 4 billion people living a lifestyle like the average american.
with this in mind, it is almost universally accepted in academic circles that there is an overpopulation problem, but the solution to such a problem is another matter altogether. At current rates of population growth, the natural solution, as someone already alluded to, would be some massive, catastrophic event that would greatly reduce our population (a plague, or a great famine caused by economic meltdown, for example). The scope of such an event would necessarily be unimaginable. Think of a thousand 9/11 style catastrophes every day for a year!!! That is the kind of mass death that would reduce the world population only by a billion.
It's hard to give you an exact, or even a relative number, but the world is experiencing an overpopulation problem that seems as if it is only going to get worse in years to come. And ultimately, it is the actions of this generation that will decide whether this problem will be resolved peacefully or catastrophically.
Wana JF does this means tuanze kuuana kusave mankind? Kweli wazungu hawana plan B kweli ya kutumaliza? Nahisi kama wa Africa tutakua kafara!
Dr. Nina Federoff is the science and technology advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. On March 31, 2009, she told the BBC program One Planet that humans had exceeded the Earths limits of sustainability.
We have six-and-a-half-billion people on the planet, going rapidly towards seven. Were going to need a lot of inventiveness about how we use water and grow crops, she told the BBC.
The World Fact book, which is published by the CIA says, The planets population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6 billion in 2000.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the current world population is 6.8 billion. This is growing by a net 218,030 people per day, giving a projected world population of nine billion by 2040.
Paul Ehrlich, mentor of U.S. Vice President Al Gore, wrote a landmark book in 1968 called "The Population Bomb." He predicted, "We will breed ourselves into oblivion."
Thomas Malthus is a British historical figure of great note. His most studied work, "An Essay on the Principle of Population as it Affects the Future Improvements of Society, with Remarks on the Speculations of M. Godwin, M. Condorcet and Other Writers," was first published in 1798. Its thesis -- that overpopulation would destroy the world unless war, famine and disease rose to check human growth.
Malthus reasoned that, since people increase exponentially and food production only increases arithmetically, food production could not possibly hope to keep up with more and emptier stomachs. he predicted mass starvation on the eve of one of the biggest farming expansions.
Although the Earth could theoretically sustain as many as 9 or 10 billion people that would only be possible under conditions of extreme stress and poverty, and patterns clearly indicate that lower populations and lower birthrates directly correspond with higher standards of living and higher quality of life. We are currently at around 6.7 billion people, which can be supported only assuming that many live in relative poverty. For example, the Earth could only support around 4 billion people living a lifestyle like the average american.
with this in mind, it is almost universally accepted in academic circles that there is an overpopulation problem, but the solution to such a problem is another matter altogether. At current rates of population growth, the natural solution, as someone already alluded to, would be some massive, catastrophic event that would greatly reduce our population (a plague, or a great famine caused by economic meltdown, for example). The scope of such an event would necessarily be unimaginable. Think of a thousand 9/11 style catastrophes every day for a year!!! That is the kind of mass death that would reduce the world population only by a billion.
It's hard to give you an exact, or even a relative number, but the world is experiencing an overpopulation problem that seems as if it is only going to get worse in years to come. And ultimately, it is the actions of this generation that will decide whether this problem will be resolved peacefully or catastrophically.
Wana JF does this means tuanze kuuana kusave mankind? Kweli wazungu hawana plan B kweli ya kutumaliza? Nahisi kama wa Africa tutakua kafara!
