Hello Mott,
Originally Posted by
Mott the Hoople
Those numbers are extremely conservative and probably far off the mark. In North America alone only around 25% of our arable land is even populated. Approximately half the population of North America live in the Continental US east of the Mississippi River and even there the population density is about half that of Europe.
The planets human carrying capacity of the planet far exceeds the numbers the article quotes by 3 to 4 times those numbers. Look at Asia for another example. Of the 4.5 billion people in Asia 3 billion live in China and India with most of their populations concentrated along their coasts. Both nations together represent about 20% of the land area of Asia. Massive areas of northern and Central Asia are still sparsely populated but have the carrying capacity for much larger human populations. They may have unpleasant climates but certainly ones in which large numbers of humans can survive and thrive in.
As for the ecological effects of course those areas seeing large population growth are profoundly impacted. As to why more, that’s a question with no real answer. Because we can? Ultimately humanity is governed by the laws of biology and if human populations exceed the capacity to support life then large numbers of the excessive populations will die until a balance with carrying capacity is reached.
That is all true, but not desirable. We don't want it to get to that point, because that is when things get really ugly. It is preferable to back off long before that and have things nice. The fewer humans here, the better it is. It's not like we are ever going to approach no humans on the planet due to population management, so that is no concern.
Ever go to a nice attraction on a holiday weekend? Say, you want to go to a popular park, or Mt Vernon, or something like that. Or perhaps just going to the beach in Santa Monica. You had better get up in the wee hours of the morning and arrive long before opening. You will then take your place in line and wait. If you don't do that, it is entirely likely that you will not even get in.
We aren't creating any more of these places, but we are creating a lot more people who want to enjoy them.
We should we aspire to have so many people on the planet that much of our time is spent waiting?
I don't know many people who enjoy waiting.
That doesn't sound like a good quality of life, waiting for everything.
We could all enjoy a better life with fewer of us.
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
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