Bad Population News
World Population to hit 11 billion by 2100.
They'd been saying a peak of 9 billion in 2070, then some decline. Almost all the unanticipated growth is expected in Africa. That continent simply can't catch a break.
Too bad nobody takes this extremely important problem seriously anymore.
[Incidentally, behold the following inane comment from "openeyes999" on the SciAm site:
Overpopulation brings out the same idiocy every time. Instead of admitting the the problem is a problem and needs to be addressed, we get the suggestion that any concerns about the problem are racist ("would people's reactions be different if the population increase was coming from Europe instead of Africa?"), blithe suggestions of forced vegetarianism, suggestions that we eat bugs, etc. Then there's the blind faith that we'll find some technological solution, and the moronic presupposition that the only problem with overpopulation is that we won't be able to feed everyone. A different comment complains that this will make it harder to solve AGW.
But overpopulation is a problem, and it has nothing to do with racism, despite the neo-PC insistence on trying to find racism under every rock. It's a problem because it threatens to destroy the environment and produce a world that's not worth living in, not merely because we won't be able to feed everyone. And it's a threat to the environment not merely because of AGW, despite the liberal desire to see everything through that lens.
Jesus, when did everybody get so damn stupid about this?]
They'd been saying a peak of 9 billion in 2070, then some decline. Almost all the unanticipated growth is expected in Africa. That continent simply can't catch a break.
Too bad nobody takes this extremely important problem seriously anymore.
[Incidentally, behold the following inane comment from "openeyes999" on the SciAm site:
While it will be a challenge to feed this many people, I think we will be able to handle it. First, if we were forced to go vegetarian we could almost feed that many people right now. Plus, in the current system there's a lot of waste which could be reduced by current technology and better practices.facepalm
Also, in the future our technology will more advanced. I know people are afraid of GM crops but half the world would starve without them and they have a good safety record. Organic crops will increasingly only be possible for the rich. In any case, it's just another reason to invest more $ in biotech than we already do.
Additionally, there are many good food sources people don't use. (Ex: kelp, insects)
Interesting question...would people's reactions be different if the population increase was coming from Europe instead of Africa?
Overpopulation brings out the same idiocy every time. Instead of admitting the the problem is a problem and needs to be addressed, we get the suggestion that any concerns about the problem are racist ("would people's reactions be different if the population increase was coming from Europe instead of Africa?"), blithe suggestions of forced vegetarianism, suggestions that we eat bugs, etc. Then there's the blind faith that we'll find some technological solution, and the moronic presupposition that the only problem with overpopulation is that we won't be able to feed everyone. A different comment complains that this will make it harder to solve AGW.
But overpopulation is a problem, and it has nothing to do with racism, despite the neo-PC insistence on trying to find racism under every rock. It's a problem because it threatens to destroy the environment and produce a world that's not worth living in, not merely because we won't be able to feed everyone. And it's a threat to the environment not merely because of AGW, despite the liberal desire to see everything through that lens.
Jesus, when did everybody get so damn stupid about this?]
posted by Winston Smith at
9:06 PM
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