4 replies to this topic

[gavrilov]

Greetings,

Recently I have got an unusual question:

What are the most critical issues/questions specific to Global Population and Planet's Future over the next 50 years and why?

Any ideas on how to answer this question?

Thanks in advance!

- Leonid

[robomoon]

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The most critical issue: less insanity. A relevant question: how to alter the mind for less insanity? Look at the history http://www.anchorbre...ers/ninkasi.htm and our latest approach in real time discussing mind altering drinking habits http://www.longecity...post__p__476098 and the problem of federal money squander. Obviously, governments make the largest investments to protect us, but recent investments into the greatest particle physics experiment has opened the gates to an adverse concomitant that might annihilate http://lifeboat.com/...1#comment-90448 us. 3 links are not enough, here’s an older source still relevant today http://www.discovery...zing-human.html against the blurred threat picture that less sanity often causes between both of our ears. What luck even some advertisements there look promising, I clicked on one UNDERSEA COLONIES image, here http://dennisbooks.com we can read, perhaps even without buying: not a single one of all hundred billion humans who have ever lived has gone to live permanently undersea. Will this be our last chance for the 1st step proposed in The Millenial Project by Marshall T. Savage http://www.asi.org/a.../millenial.html that we were not healthy enough to consider so far? Considering the shortest time frame for the worst case in which subatomic matter as considered by novel calculations in black hole theory could grow to fatal molecular proportions, this will be the sanest step to make during the next 50 years for the survival of our advanced life and its descendants.

Greetings,

Recently I have got an unusual question:

What are the most critical issues/questions specific to Global Population and Planet's Future over the next 50 years and why?

Any ideas on how to answer this question?

Thanks in advance!

- Leonid

[Dirk_Diggler]

I think the most important question is: At what point do we start to put things in motion to reduce the growing population? We have to have a point where we do something about it because the population cannot keep growing until things get bad. Then it will be too late and we will REALLY have to make some difficult decisions (who lives and who dies).

At some point we have to say "Enough is enough". But when? Do things have to get out of hand first? Will it be too late then? Can we not do something BEFORE it gets bad? It seems that it's human nature to allow things to get bad before something is done.

I'm actually surprised that this isn't a more important concern in today's world. Considering the planet only has a limited amount of natural resources, and the more people we have on Earth the faster those are depleted.

More sustainable forms of energy will have to be created. Solar energy can be a powerful form of energy if we find a way to make it efficient and cost effective.

Edited by Dirk_Diggler, 16 September 2011 - 08:46 AM.

[Danail Bulgaria]

I don't understand why this topic is in a "project ideas" section of this forum
concerning longevity and immortality?
Longevity and overpopulation are two different topics.
If You look at the global statistics countries with much smaller life expectancy are
the main reason for overpopulation - Africa countries, Pakistan, India (China
already showed effective measures for controlling birth rate) and the countries
with the highest life expectancy are with a DECREASING population. Overpopulation
is a question of uncontrolled growth, not a question of living a long life. EVEN IF
WE ALL SUDDENLY BECOME IMMORTAL WE WILL HAVE NOW ENOUGH
SPACE ON THE PLANET if noone else is being born.

[Mind]

Just for some background, Gavrilov is a leader in studying population growth in a world with greatly extended lifespans: see here. He is probably asking our community for some finer points about population growth and challenges that we might have to confront, in order to further research into this area of study. He probably gets ill-informed questions from demographers all the time. We should help to formulate reasoned scientific responses.