xtreyier has brought up some fabulous points especially about
the survivability of Man down the years. We have eyes to see for
ourselves the miracles that scienctific breakthroughs and
technological advancement have brought for us. To assume that the
only way we can survive in future is to cut our population is just
insane. The continuous pushing of scientific frontiers should be
what we base on future on. Science has provided answers to many of
the constraints people of the 19th and 20th century faced. In the
21st century be sure that this would continue to be our trend.
Mankind has evolved much over the last millions of years but what
has not change is the instinct to survive. Whilst in the past it
constitutes hunting and making fire, today its about exploration
and discovery to push our living boundaries to the maxmimum.
The problem of overfishing is not an issue of overpopulation but
a economic problem known as the tragedy of the commons resulting
from exploitation of a common resource. What we need is not a
smaller population but a clearer distinction of property rights. If
someone owns the fishing areas, then it is in their interests to
protect it. I.e. problem solved.
The advances for the past 2 centuries has been based on the
discovery of abundant energy which allows humans to use mechanical
means to replace human/horse power, moving from animal based
economies to mechanial based manufacturing.
First it was wood, then coal and finally petroleum, superior to
coal because it is discovered in liquid form, requiring only pumps
to extract rather than the hassle of coal mines.
EROEI, or Energy Returned Upon Energy Invested lies at the core
of all advances in human civilisation and population. Human
population and civilisation grew each time it made a discovery of a
new form of stored energy starting from agriculture to our current
fossil fuel based economy.
There has been categorically no technological discovery made
that could replace the EROEI of current fossil fuels. Even now, it
is already costing more to extract 1 unit of energy.
Singapore gained independence in a period where oil discoveries
were at its most abundant. Just 1 unit of energy was required to
pump 100 units of energy worth of oil out of the ground.
This fueled world trade and industrial production, playing a
much bigger role in Singapore's economy than anything LKY and
the PAP could have done. They merely exploited the trend, not
create Singapore's economy out of nothing.
As the human population increases, so does the consumption of
resources as well as the resources neccessary to upkeep the
infrastructure to fuel that consumption (Transportation of food,
water and minerals)
We have to control our consumption as well our population here
and now before it increases to the point where it is just too
expensive or scarce to upkeep. Our natural instinct to procreate
and consume has made it possible for us to advance this far but
like cancer the human race is now experiencing uncontrolled growth
free of our past population control mechanisms like disease and
high infant mortality rates.
Overfishing IS a result of overpopulation simply because with a
growing population there would be more people to consume fish. With
increased demand, so would the fishing fleets expand to fuel that
demand.
How is the average Somali fisherman suppose to defend their
waters against the huge EU fishing fleets, whose ships far outclass
the small trawler the Somalis have? The core reason to why the
Somalis are resorting to piracy is because their livehood has been
destroyed by the European industrial trawlers, eager to fuel the
fish hungry world population.
Like xtreyier i can tell you're not stupid. However you suffer
from a lack of perspective despite the enormous amount of
information you absorb. You simply cannot see something from more
than 1 direction.
