Increasing Population

[andrewmoquin]

Could you please explain simply:

Is an increasing population going to contribute to global warming? How much does a single human contribute to greenhouse gases?

What year is the population supposedly going to reach 9 billion? Surely a 30% jump in population is going to have some impact.

Thanks in advance...

[woodstove]

I'm sorry that you appear to be caught in a vortex of hopelessness.

But I am happy to announce that you happen to be alive at the most ideal time to be on Earth, so far. You have eaten more healthy food, have enjoyed more leisure time, have had better medical and dental care, have traveled more widely, have met and hopefully gotten to know more of your elderly relatives, had a better education, had better clothing, and enjoyed more technological benefits than nearly everyone who has ever lived.

Congratulations!

Now, buck up.

_________________________________________________________________

As for the cult of gloom regarding overpopulation/global warming, it never happened and it's never going to happen.

"In the early 1970s, 37 percent of the developing world’s people suffered from chronic hunger, but it is now down to 17 percent, despite ill-advised biofuel subsidies which divert food to fuel. The combination of increased prosperity, trade and technology has lowered the real prices of food and many raw materials, effectively making them less scarce. Food and metals are now eight times cheaper in India than in 1900, and thirteen times cheaper in the USA.

"Human well-being has never been greater, mostly because of greater wealth and better technology. Basic hygiene, cleaner water, sanitation, more food and developments in medicine such as vaccinations and antibiotics have reduced mortality for infants, children, mothers and everyone else. Consequently, global average life expectancy, perhaps the single most important measure of human well-being, increased from 31 years in 1900 to 47 years in the early 1950s to 67 years today. Rising literacy, falling child labor and greater political and economic freedoms also show that people are living better, in developed and developing countries alike."

From a recent essay by Indur Goklany:

www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_goklany21_07-21-09_AGF0CJS_v14.3f8d9ec.html

[curiousgeorge]

You wouldn't happen to be a student of John Holdren would you?

[jtom]

Yes, the increase in population will devastate the earth and turn it into a scorching Hades. Please, you and your group must do the responsible thing and refuse to breed. I'm sure that would meet with the Gore Seal of Approval (but accept that Gore's family is exempt from doing that since SOMEONE has to run the world).

Woodstove: your post reminds me of a cartoon I've got saved somewhere on my system. Two cavemen are sitting on the floor in a cave, and one of them is saying, "Something's just not right- our air is clean, our water is pure, we all get plenty of exercise, everything we eat is organic and free-range, and yet nobody lives past thirty."

In all seriousness, Andy, don't worry about it . First, other than a nuclear holocaust, there is nothing you nor anyone else can do to substantially change population growth. Moreover, it would be unnecessary. If anything (global warming or otherwise) Man does becomes unsustainable, then nature will take over again in the form of famine or pestilence.

My question to you is, if your fears were confirmed what would you, could you, do about it? If you think times may get bad, plan what your response would be, file it away, and enjoy what you have now. But don't waste your life worrying about Mankind.

[curiousgeorge]

Andy, you can find population info by googling popclock. As for people impact on the global environment, it's far more complicated than just the size of the population. It includes such things as logistics (distribution of goods ), standard of living, migration patterns, politics, etc., etc. If you are truly interested in the subject I'd recommend spending several years in college taking appropriate subjects just for starters.

[donmartin]

I would posit , and I believe it is a fundamental consideration of development economics, that the availability of prosperity curtails population growth. As a rule, and if they can, people will trade the marginal returns of children for a good flat screened Sony.

One and all, have a good day, and keep shopping, for therein lies the salvation of our planet.

[msphar]

Andy - I strongly suggest you acquire an old copy of Paul Erlich's book called the "The Population Bomb" I think it was written in the early 1970s or possibly the late 1960s. Can't recall clearly and my copy is over at my Tahoe cabin, so not handy at the moment. I believe the author made several predictions along the line of things you seem to imply in the original post, along with devasdating professies. None of which came true. There is a lesson here. Maybe this time its different. Maybe this time it will really happen. Maybe this time you are on to something. Only time will tell, in the meantime, enjoy life and get out and meet a bunch of people with diverse interests. Travel the world and revisit your ideas as you go. Do yourself a favor don't get stuck in a box. Notice too that the flawed global temp charts show cooling in the latest 11 years so don't sweat the small stuff. Maybe you could help by figuring out where to stick the thermometer. We are a long way from figuring that out ...then in 50 years you can say you made a difference.