by 14 people |
Can there ever be too many people?
When I was born, back in 1970, the world population was 3.7 billion people. By the time I was in kindergarten that number had risen to 4 billion. By the time I graduated from high school we'd added another billion human beings to the world population, bringing us to 5 billion human residents of earth. By the dawn of the new millennium we pushed over the 6 billion mark. Less than ten years later we are fast approaching a world population of 7 billion people.
There can be no doubt that the world population has grown and continues to grow. Scientists have been coming to the same conclusion for decades. We are headed toward a dire lack of resources, environmental collapse, and a plummet in the average quality of life.
However, many people believe that there is no such thing as overpopulation, that either the earth will accommodate an unlimited human population because it always has or that God has decreed that we must "go forth and multiply" without limitation. Some even argue that the idea of only having a few children rather than having as many as possible represents a liberal agenda to kill off the white race. They call overpopulation a myth.
Personally, I think the world has enough people already and that reproduction on anything more than a replacement level is an unsustainable plan for the future. I believe resources are finite and that the world population can and probably will overgrow the earth's capacity to support it. Or it's possible that, like any other overpopulated species, we will suffer extreme losses to contagious diseases and plague will solve the overpopulation problem before we get a chance to do something less drastic ourselves.
Is Overpopulation a Myth or a Real Danger?
No one can really dispute that the earth's human population is growing. What is in contention is whether or not a growing population is leading to overpopulation or an unsustainable drain on the planet's resources.
Weigh in with your opinion as to whether or not our growing population could create an overpopulation problem.
Is Overpopulation a Real Danger?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, you're right, if the human population continues to grow at its current rate we are in for trouble!
Don says:
Overpopulation of humans is a danger to all other living things. Of course nature will eventually lower the human population and the environment itself will change to the point that humans go extinct. Hopefully.
Posted October 29, 2009
GraemeN says:
Phew! Big topic! But I think you are right. I think little will change though. The stong will survive, the weak will perish and the unscruplous will exploit it.
Posted October 20, 2009
jjj1 says:
I believe there are too many people and that global warning is a real danger for our children. Unfortunately, I can't stomach China's approach - I've read that they throw unwanted babies from mountain tops and that, with multiple births, the poor parents must choose which baby can live. As a parent of twins, that is inhumane.
Posted September 26, 2009
Ramkitten says:
I agree with you, Kylyssa--everything you said in your last paragraph of the introduction, which you said so well. I think overpopulation is a very real, very serious problem and a thread to humankind's overall standard of living and the health of the whole population.
Posted September 15, 2009
skiesgreen says:
Its inevitable that humans are killing the world and everything in it. The earth is a living organism which humans are dissecting, masticating and spitting all over the remains. All that we will have left is the bare bones and no one can live on that.
Posted September 15, 2009
susannaduffy says:
Perhaps you should ask the people who live - and die - in the areas with the heaviest populations
Posted September 15, 2009
Bob says:
OVERPOPULATION IS A DANGER TO ALL MANKIND! Think about it more critically here.. More people translates to less land to grow crops on because people need land to live on. You can not grow food on just any land mass; it has to be arable land suitable for that specific region's crops. Eventually if we get too many people and keep building out, and not up, that land will be gone and food will be scarce.
Everyone knows that balance is a part of every eco system and food chain. If we have too many people eventually we will balance out because of starvation or other pollution/ environmental disasters as a result of having too many people. I think the earth is already vastly overpopulated and we should be somewhere around 500 million people max to maintain an earth balance without destroying the eco systems we inhabit. The state of the environment right now and the acidification of the world's oceans are signs that we ARE too populated as a global community.
Posted August 30, 2009
Hermit says:
Of course there are too many people...
Posted August 28, 2009
Baro says:
It's obvious that the resources in the planet are limited. As with every species on every ecosystem, overpopulation leads to lack of food and therefore the population gets balanced. The case of humans is very dangerous, because we are a serious predator, and if we go down, we're likely to bring a lot of species down with us, just to stay a little longer.
Posted August 28, 2009
Dave says:
Yes, it is VERY real! Problem is that we keep putting on blinders to the obvious!
As a hunter, I understand the concept of 'carrying capacity' very well and we are about to exceed the capacity of our little planet!
We need to have no more than two biological offspring and adopt the rest.
There are THOUSANDS of parentless kids of all ages out there just waiting and hoping.
We need to see this reality and act on it NOW!
Posted August 28, 2009
David says:
IT IS the biggest issue we face, because it affects both human security and the environment
Posted August 27, 2009
Mark P. says:
At the present time, I do not feel that is an immediate danger. However, as food and energy demands increase, so will the level of danger. Global warming will force people from flooded areas to higher grounds. That is when it will become a real danger.
Posted August 27, 2009
Al Gore says:
We are in serious trouble. There are barely enough resources on this planet to support the amount of people we currently have. If the entire world consumed resources as quickly as the US, we would need 3 more earths devoid of people to support ours alone.
Posted August 27, 2009
HorseAndPony says:
Yes, I believe overpopulation is a Real Danger. We just moved from a suburb in western PA. The school that my daughter attended had 3 grade schools. Each with seven first grade classes. We pointed out that this make it very difficult for kids who become great friends. They assured us that she would progress through the years with one child from the prior year. After a month, of being treated like an item being processed in a mill, we removed her from the school. The problems with overpopulation are more than just environmental. What about the children. It is our experience that most are pushed to overcrowded schools, shuffled to overcrowded activities and then handed electronic devices to occupy themselves. I believe, that controlling the population will not only help save the planet but also provide children with a more friendly and supportive environment. Less is More.
Posted August 27, 2009
prosperity66 says:
Yes, indeed, just look at our so-called "wealthy" countries: many of them lack of green spaces, have too many buildings and are sometime unable to deal with the huge amount of people living in towns and the overflow that is occuring each and every day due to immigration (which is an effect of this same overpopulation).
I live in a small country, left my hometown because it was overpopulated and now my former fellows are coming to the countryside too - making my village becoming a town. Prairies have been sold to new homeowners, farms are closing one after another, horses disappeared, we even rarely see a cow :(
Too many people --> high pollution rate...
And so on. In summary, I say, yes, overpopulation is dangerous.
Posted August 27, 2009
No way, there is no such thing as overpopulation and there's no reason to worry about it!
Muaz says:
No
Posted November 18, 2009
sam says:
i don't care about others opinion just give me the facts . thank God for the internet
Posted September 16, 2009
christian says:
my jesus says what you say is wrong. my jesus tells me to have kids and teach them the truth and let them go unto the world to save the lost! my jesus tells the planet what to do. my jesus can change climate and generate more resources (remember the fish and loaves???). FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON!!!! if having children is bad, then why did god send his son? how else would the human race survive? this is crazy!!!!
Posted September 08, 2009
MiaBellezza says:
Overpopulation is a moot point as with any organism that expands to the parameters of its existence it will implode upon itself. Mother Nature has a way of culling excesses; let's not give anyone any funny ideas about taking matters into their own hands.
The question "Is overpopulation a real danger" is a dangerous question, because it compels one to question if some see too many useless eaters now! Dangerous ideas for dangerous minds.
I say live and let live and what will be, will be.
Posted August 30, 2009
Streawei says:
Over Population isn't a problem as long as science continues to progress. If we stop and stagnate our innovations then we would have a problem. Resource management should be the short term goal, and long term sustainability can be solved by increased funding into research.
Posted August 30, 2009
Cinetech says:
It is a myth as long as global warming and pollution are a myth.
Posted August 27, 2009
Cassandra Troy says:
It's a myth, propagated for political purposes by nefarious, anti human ideologues.
Posted August 27, 2009
Opinions on Overpopulation
Help Me Prove that Overpopulation is a Danger to Humanity and Planet Earth
If you agree, add links (proof!) that help me make my case
Add a link that helps make my case.
Overpopulation.net - We Have Passed Our Sustainability by Mark R. Elsis
The Latest Overpopulation News From Around The Wor more...1 point
World Overpopulation Killing Earth: The Root Cause Of The Earth's Problems: Too Many People | Suite101.com
By 2050 there may be 9 billion of us. This will pu more...0 points
Prove that Overpopulation is a Myth
Disagree? Put your money where your mouth is and show us why.
Post links that point out why you think I'm wrong.
Population and Prosperity Often Grow Together - The New York Times
Robert Whelan, director of the Committee on Popula more...0 points
The Economics of Loneliness - Economix Blog - NYTimes.com
Division of labor requires human interaction. A gr more...0 points
The Right to Reproduce
Overpopulation in the News
- Overpopulation: Too Many Damned Malthusians
- This world of ours is not overpopulated. There is no overpopulation. A great many aspects and consequences of human society and human nature are wrong, unpleasant, and downright malign - but a lack of resources or space is not on that ...
- .: Overpopulation alibi revived
- Again their ultimate reason is, hold your breath, that there is overpopulation and that it is the main culprit for the poverty we see around. Some of our politicians are mouthing that mantra. We have to be careful with these simpletons ...
- RedStateEclectic : An Overpopulation of Mathusians
- Brendan O'Neill gives us a little history of the perennial overpopulation worries. His excellent article entitled Too Many People? No, Too Many Mathusians, contains these conclusions: The first mistake Malthusians always make is to ...
- The Overpopulation Movement Struggles to Stay Relevant | Catholic ...
- Like aging sixties radicals seeking to relive their glory days, the fear mongers at the Optimum Population Trust (OPT) are still trying to scare us with the.
What People Are Saying about Overpopulation
- Abortion roadblocks and overpopulation
- ... of abortion rights is tantamount to aiding an ever more dangerous overpopulation of our species to increase exponentially, thereby ensuring our demise.
- Sea Lions Invade San Fran Tourist Spot
- By John Blackstone The percentage of California sea lions in need of rescue increased possibly due to an overpopulation of these animals, and a weather ...
- Women bear brunt of 'climate change'?
- The UNFPA sites overpopulation as one of the factors in the earth's "capacity to adjust" to climate change. In an article published on GMANews.tv, ...
- Overpopulation is a problem
- I thought what he said was very true, but one giant problem is being ignored, and that is overpopulation in many parts of the world. ...
Stand Up and Be Counted!
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Reply
- mitchking mitchking Sep 17, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
- I do not see how we can continue to grow and still feed and provide clean drinking water for everyone. True part of the problem now with the food and water is it is not distributed well, but this is not going to get easier without the costs involved with moving these things.
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- Ramkitten Ramkitten Sep 15, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
- Excellent, thought-provoking lens, Kylssa!
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- skiesgreen skiesgreen Sep 15, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
- Great topic and important points raised. 5*
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- rtabel rtabel Sep 15, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
- I love this lens! Overpopulation is a very serious subject and will affect Earth's population in a serious way, in ways of food distribution and food production, among many other things. 5* & fav
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Reply
- LindaJM LindaJM Aug 31, 2009 @ 2:58 pm
- Very timely topic, well presented! 5*, blessed. We all need to be concerned about this issue and the shenanigans perpetrated by world leaders to control our population growth. Education is the answer... that, and science.
- Load More
What People Are Tweeting about Overpopulation
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- nickromyn
- @dominionpundit It's preposterous. Of course, if they had *shot* it like they should've (overpopulation) they'd be in sh*t up to the neck
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- jimmyardis
- RT @mfoundation: Overpopulation: Too Many Damned Malthusians: This world of ours is not overpopulated. There is no.. http://bit.ly/5NlZXH
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- harpersnotes
- RT @DoNotGoGently: Overpopulation: Too Many Damned Malthusians http://ff.im/-bY5qb
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- kenlacrosse
- Overpopulation: Too Many Damned Malthusians http://j.mp/4U0tIj
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- DogToysAndTrain
- Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America (Paperback) recently tagged "d.. http://bit.ly/7FVlE0
by Kylyssa
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