User profile: ogln

Joined: May 2, 2008

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Posted on: Why overpopulation isn’t the real problem

Whether you believe the world is overpopulated or not, there is no question about whether the planet CAN be overpopulated. The answer is positive. Yes, it can. Just fancy some trillions of people!

So, apparently, there is a theoretical limit on the population level. Hence, the problem boils down to how many people the planet can sustain, where this theoretical limit is, haven't we already reached it?

The trouble with the media covering this topic today from the point of view that the world is not overpopulated is that you are not trying to ask yourself these questions and find answers for them. The bias against overpopulation is totally ideological, based on political correctness and so called values. To realize that, one just should look at your logic.

You go with standard 'people are not just consumers of resources, but also creative producers'. While overpopulation is not about consumed vs. produced, but consumed vs. CAN BE produced. People can be productive as hell, but it's only until moment, when resources are depleted faster than they are naturally replenished.

Population and prosperity are very well correlated. Hong Kong and Manhattan are not only exceptions, but serve a bad model for how world works. They are not self-dependent. How do they manage pollution? Just shift it to the third world countries. That's why America is relatively clean. Were developing world to refuse to take our waste, we would certainly immediately learn that democracy and capitalism don't mean good environment. Another example - do these cities grow food? Can you imagine the same density in the farmland, given that the yield should be held at the same levels?

Not to mention that there were always rich (as compared to world average) regions and people and there will always be rich regions and people. With 9 billions, with 25 billions, with 300 billions of people - whatever! Making out of this the argument that there is no overpopulation is stupid!

Finally - this is about journalistic honesty - China's policy is not about forced abortion and sterilization. It's also about promoting one child per family through education, taxation, and free contraception.

(Suggest removal) 5/2/08 at 4:26 a.m.

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