Running out of Room

[blackraven]

Do you think the world will eventually run out of room to grow food due to overpopulation? Will overpopulation and development push more animals to extinction? What, if anything, do you think could be done about it?

I often bring up the subject of having restrictions on the amount of children people can bare and I get a lot of backlash. In fact, most people get downright indignant at the idea of not having freedom to bring as many children into the world as they desire. In college I approached the subject and had many people up out of their seat yelling at me. The subject only interests me for the quality of life of all livings things on earth. After all, "rat race" isn't about some euphoric existence.

I just found out that vertical farms are in the early stages of planning whereas large warehouses with controlled environments year round can grow food vertically to the ceiling. These vertical farms are being looked into because farm lands are quickly disappearing due to population growth.

What are your thoughts on this subject of running out of room?

Blackraven

[blackraven]

I'm aware that the idea of population control is radical and conflicts with many spiritual, religious and personal freedom ideals. I don't think anyone wishes to be dictated to as to something as personal as reproduction. I only approach this subject from the standpoint that it would appear (wo)mankind will have to face this issue eventually. Not likely in the lifetime of anyone currently living, but it's possible that resolutions may come about in the far away future. Not sure why I put this in the 'Nature' section other than I mentioned more species of animals becoming extinct. Woman/man may face the same.

Blackraven

Nature has no agenda, but it always manages to heal itself. The point is that we have no idea what the future holds and we merely have to trust mother nature to do what she needs to do to survive. Maybe some criminally inclined organization will succeed in their evil goals to reduce the human population or maybe these individuals will grow powerless and weed themselves out. The triumph of "good" over "evil" or vice versa may equally bring ruin or marvel to humanity. Maybe humans will end up becoming an extinct species.

We honestly have no way of knowing all the answers and faith in the next life [even if that life consists of nothingness] should be seen as a fortune in the face of all the madness. Don't try to fight nature and let it sort itself out, doing your part in what you think is right. Just be yourself and spend time with those you love, doing whatever comes natural to you. When the time comes, nature will be the one to decide what it needs to do. Until then, just enjoy life.

[Gem]

Human population growth is crux of ecological decline, but the entire global social system is founded on perpetual growth; and it's a 'house of cards' ethos. The problem is the financial system is based on expansion, and as such, an increasing number of consumers are needed to maintain growth rates, so at a fundamental level, economy requires a hell of a lot of babies... so naturally, we're socially conditioned to increase global population because we believe money is needed to survive.

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by xSoulx

Nature has no agenda, but it always manages to heal itself. The point is that we have no idea what the future holds and we merely have to trust mother nature to do what she needs to do to survive. Maybe some criminally inclined organization will succeed in their evil goals to reduce the human population or maybe these individuals will grow powerless and weed themselves out. The triumph of "good" over "evil" or vice versa may equally bring ruin or marvel to humanity. Maybe humans will end up becoming an extinct species.

We honestly have no way of knowing all the answers and faith in the next life [even if that life consists of nothingness] should be seen as a fortune in the face of all the madness. Don't try to fight nature and let it sort itself out, doing your part in what you think is right. Just be yourself and spend time with those you love, doing whatever comes natural to you. When the time comes, nature will be the one to decide what it needs to do. Until then, just enjoy life.

xSoulx - Thanks for stopping in and giving your thoughts on this subject. A country where there is reproduction requirements probably is see as a criminally inclined organization because it is inherent that humans desire freedom in all choices. I think we have a lot of control over the future in a great many areas such as turning back the clock on global warming by changing our human habits. We can further increase technology in the future as has been the case especially in the last two centuries. I guess I'm one to try to believe in and help change for improvement. I like the idea of doing whatever comes natural to me, although I don't know if I have the ability to relinquish trust that I will always do what's best or others will. I suppose in the best case scenario humankind has the increased conscience to live harmoniously with all other humans, animals and plant life. But money tends to dictate human behavior, example: if humans keep cutting down forests at the current rate, future generations will have lower quality of air to breathe. That's what I mean when I talk about the conscience of man. Animals and plants follow a pattern of natural processes, but does man?

Thank you for your input xSoulx.

Blackraven

[knightofalbion]

We humans are such an invasive species, so demanding and insatiable.
The phrase 'When everything is not enough' springs to mind ...

I'm sure humanity will survive - 'we' are great survivors, if nothing else - though the natural world will take the hit.

10 billion by 2050, with 3 billion under 30 at that point, so growth will continue upwards relentlessly.

My understanding is that present farm land could feed 10 billion on a plant based diet.
After that ... humanity will be on 'soylent green' or suchlike!

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by Gem

Human population growth is crux of ecological decline, but the entire global social system is founded on perpetual growth; and it's a 'house of cards' ethos. The problem is the financial system is based on expansion, and as such, an increasing number of consumers are needed to maintain growth rates, so at a fundamental level, economy requires a hell of a lot of babies... so naturally, we're socially conditioned to increase global population because we believe money is needed to survive.

Yes, exactly, Gem. That was part of my response to xSoulx, that money controls human behavior. Even the aging need the current infants to support their lifestyle when they are old enough to feed the systems.

Blackraven

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

We humans are such an invasive species, so demanding and insatiable.
The phrase 'When everything is not enough' springs to mind ...

I'm sure humanity will survive - 'we' are great survivors, if nothing else - though the natural world will take the hit.

10 billion by 2050, with 3 billion under 30 at that point, so growth will continue upwards relentlessly.

My understanding is that present farm land could feed 10 billion on a plant based diet.
After that ... humanity will be on 'soylent green' or suchlike!

knightofalbion - 'Soylent Green' is what comes to mind when I envision future generations. The natural world always seems to pay the price for human recklessness and neglect. I don't think animals and plants can naturally survive as long as mankind is destroying their homes, polluting oceans, killing them because they're an inconvenience. Where I live the nearby city is proposing to off all the deer because they don't want any car accidents. Call me a Bambi-lover, but that doesn't feel like a natural order of things to me. Co-existence does.

Blackraven

[H:O:R:A:C:E]

the overpopulation problem has been evident for quite some time; Make Room!Make Room! (the basis for Soylent Green) was published in 1966.
it's been an undeniable issue since then at least.
there is absolutely no human reason for populating the world as we've been doing. it's not serving the planets purpose(s).
who's agenda IS it serving [i ask you]?

Non-renewable resources are limited and dwindling at an alarming rate, and we're polluting / destroying renewables (other than sunlight) at a similar rate. People are in denial about global warming because it might affect their bottom line.

Remember the lesson of Easter Island, a small microcosm of Earth. Inhabitants used up nearly all the natural resources, and in the process, nearly wiped themselves out. Settlers came on ships, gave them new diseases, and finished the job.

I'm afraid we're in for a rude awakening, and probably sooner than we think.

Raising the collective consciousness and median standard of living for the world might help avert disaster.