Space & Exploration

[dupersuper]

Nah, I'm not worried. Natural disasters and wars keep us trimmed up fairly well.

They clearly haven't...

I don't think our species is near extinction, but a plague or famine could clear up our population problems fairly quickly. Much quicker than shipping billions of people off into space.

Yeah, but I like aiming for the solution that doesn't kill billions.

[dupont2005]

Yeah, but I like aiming for the solution that doesn't kill billions.

Then inhabiting an alien planet is out...

[mikekerrIII]

Nah, I'm not worried. Natural disasters and wars keep us trimmed up fairly well.

Not even close.

[Paradox]

Sure it does. The problem isn't overpopulation, it's overuse of resources. There's plenty to go around, but certain countries grab it all up and waste most of it.

[mikekerrIII]

Sure it does. The problem isn't overpopulation, it's overuse of resources. There's plenty to go around, but certain countries grab it all up and waste most of it.

resource use is highly dependent on population. Some things like water are finite.

Malthus is still in the wings waiting

[Paradox]

Highly? No, "somewhat". It's more dependent on who can dig it out and sell it. Water isn't finite, POTABLE water is. Well, water's finite technically, but it's a closed system and it doesn't get "used up". We're drinking today more or less the same water molecules they drank in ancient Sumer.

And tiny amounts are always being added from space debris...

[mikekerrIII]

Highly? No, "somewhat". It's more dependent on who can dig it out and sell it. Water isn't finite, POTABLE water is. Well, water's finite technically, but it's a closed system and it doesn't get "used up". We're drinking today more or less the same water molecules they drank in ancient Sumer.

And tiny amounts are always being added from space debris...

For all practical purposes, with foreseeable technology, potable water and water for irrigation are finite resources.

[dupont2005]

For all practical purposes, with foreseeable technology, potable water and water for irrigation are finite resources.

That's one of those things I think could be fixed easier than colonizing a new planet to reduce Earth's population by the billions

[Paradox]

They're already working on desalination in a lot of places (San Diego, for example). It's not perfected tech, but it's foreseeable. I've seen scare stories on our "water problem", but it all seems to be based on "if we do nothing and population growth continues with no changes whatsoever". It reminds me of the same type of arguments made about Social Security.

[Iangould]

Pretty much all of Australia's capital cities get at least some of their water from desalination plants - generally they're designed not to supply the whole water supply but to provide a highly secure source to supplement supplies during droughts.

They're more expensive than other potable water sources - and would be completely uneconomical for irrigation.

But the technology does exist, it isn't just "foreseeable", plants here, in Singapore, in the Gulf States and elsewhere pump out millions of litres per day.

[mikekerrIII]

They're already working on desalination in a lot of places (San Diego, for example). It's not perfected tech, but it's foreseeable. I've seen scare stories on our "water problem", but it all seems to be based on "if we do nothing and population growth continues with no changes whatsoever". It reminds me of the same type of arguments made about Social Security.

Desalinization requires huge amounts of energy when done on a large scale, something else that with current technology has its own limits. Bring on fusion power and it is more than a limited solution, but until then it is too weak a reed to lean on.

[mikekerrIII]

Pretty much all of Australia's capital cities get at least some of their water from desalination plants - generally they're designed not to supply the whole water supply but to provide a highly secure source to supplement supplies during droughts.

They're more expensive than other potable water sources - and would be completely uneconomical for irrigation.

But the technology does exist, it isn't just "foreseeable", plants here, in Singapore, in the Gulf States and elsewhere pump out millions of litres per day.

They do pump out huge amounts of water a day. but they are not a large scale solution. especially with an increasing need for irrigation to feed and increasing number of people. I would think that they are uneconomical for any nation that is not among ther rich.

[Paradox]

Now, sure. But we're also not in a catastrophic water shortage now, either, and won't be for quite a while (likely in neither of our lifetimes). It's one thing that's being worked on, is feasible and with tech improvements (as all tech does), could be helpful.

[chrisgiff]

Sure it does. The problem isn't overpopulation, it's overuse of resources. There's plenty to go around, but certain countries grab it all up and waste most of it.

Exactly.

Technological advances are the only things that can balance the scales between overpopulation and over-consumption of finite resources.

We are about due for a huge catastrophic event in our species. Periods of rapid population growth are followed by rapid population decline. Our population increased steadily until the early 1900s and it has shot straight up since then. It can't last forever.

If only we could move quicker to sustainable energy practices, but they make baby Jesus and bald eagles cry...

[Paradox]

When I think about all the food we throw in the trash, or our obnoxious habit of not being able to sell anything unless it's wrapped in six different plastic containers embedded into each other, I could barf.