How to fix overpopulation?

[ModernArtist25]

Well as you all know overpopulation is harming our planet, causing global warming, habitat loss, consumption of resources, etc.

Is there a way to remedy this? Will limiting the number of babies a couple can have in all countries be a solution?

Edited July 23, 2016 by ModernArtist25

[Phi for All]

Biologically, limiting birthrate is the easiest way to control populations. But with humans, living in our societies, I think this ceases to be a simple biological problem. Telling couples they can have only one child (or no children at all) is more of a political problem for us.

[Prometheus]

Many people will not tolerate a government dictating the number of children they have to the extent it would be impossible to impose, at least in the Western world.

 

However, the birth rates of developed nations is considerably lower than developing nations, which i understand is thought to be linked to higher levels of education and autonomy in women. If true, a solution could be to encourage such education and autonomy (and any other societal trends that contribute to lower birth rates).

 

Another solution might be to increase the productivity of the earth (e.g. GM crops) and improve resource distribution, effectively increasing the capacity before over-population bites.

 

The alternative is to let nature sort it out (including resource wars).

[ModernArtist25]

Wars? Like nuclear war for resources?

[Phi for All]

However, the birth rates of developed nations is considerably lower than developing nations, which i understand is thought to be linked to higher levels of education and autonomy in women. If true, a solution could be to encourage such education and autonomy (and any other societal trends that contribute to lower birth rates).

 

Since this is in Biology, I don't want to take this discussion into Politics, but I completely agree about educating developing nations so ignorance isn't responsible for overpopulation. I wish schools could be built wherever and whenever groups of people want to learn.

[ModernArtist25]

if there is education for all but overpopulation is still continuing, will that still help?

[Phi for All]

if there is education for all but overpopulation is still continuing, will that still help?

 

Historically and statistically, education lowers birthrates. That's what helps overpopulation.

[ModernArtist25]

 

Historically and statistically, education lowers birthrates. That's what helps overpopulation.

so educating people is the way to go? How will education be accessible in all countries?

Edited July 23, 2016 by ModernArtist25

[EdEarl]

Statistics show that educating women reduces birth rate, and the world birth rate is decreasing because more and more women are being educated.

 

 

http://www.earth-policy.org/data_highlights/2011/highlights13

 

Female education is especially important. Research consistently shows that women who are empowered through education tend to have fewer children and have them later. If and when they do become mothers, they tend to be healthier and raise healthier children, who then also stay in school longer. They earn more money with which to support their families, and contribute more to their communities’ economic growth. Indeed, educating girls can transform whole communities.

 

On the other hand, the Earth might be able to produce food for double or triple the current population, with high tech food production, for example aquaponics and meat production without animals. Alternatively, we could change our diets and eat things like spirulina, which grows exceptionally fast. Part of the problem with farming is too little water and water at the wrong time; technology can eliminate these issues. Another problem is the amount of soil that has been poisoned by salt in water used for irrigation; remedies are possible, but currently too expensive.

 

 

http://www.rootsimple.com/2011/03/survival-gardening/

 

The residents of Biosphere 2, using Jeavons’ techniques claimed that enough food could be grown for one person on as little as 3,403 square feet. Jeavons has shown that you could use less space, but you better like eating a lot of potatoes.

 

The surface of Earth is about 148M km² of land. If 10% is arable, that is 14.8M km², which divided by 3400 ft² = 0.000,316 km² which equals almost 47B people possible to feed on 10% of Earth's land.

Edited July 23, 2016 by EdEarl

[ModernArtist25]

Statistics show that educating women reduces birth rate, and the world birth rate is decreasing because more and more women are being educated.

 

 

On the other hand, the Earth might be able to produce food for double or triple the current population, with high tech food production, for example aquaponics and meat production without animals. Alternatively, we could change our diets and eat things like spirulina, which grows exceptionally fast. Part of the problem with farming is too little water and water at the wrong time; technology can eliminate these issues. Another problem is the amount of soil that has been poisoned by salt in water used for irrigation; remedies are possible, but currently too expensive.

 

 

The surface of Earth is about 148M km² of land. If 10% is arable, that is 14.8M km², which divided by 3400 ft² = 0.000,316 km² which equals almost 47B people possible to feed on 10% of Earth's land.

Good info!

[Lyudmilascience]

I think limiting birthrate is the best solution.

[ModernArtist25]

I think limiting birthrate is the best solution.

 

 

You think it's better than education? why so?

[EdEarl]

I think limiting birthrate is the best solution.

By what method. Take excess babies away from parents, sterilize people after they have allotted number of babies, kill excess babies, OR?

[ModernArtist25]

By what method. Take excess babies away from parents, sterilize people after they have allotted number of babies, kill excess babies, OR?

 

I believe in China, they fine people who breaks the child policy

[Phi for All]

By what method. Take excess babies away from parents, sterilize people after they have allotted number of babies, kill excess babies, OR?

 

It seems so wasteful to kill the excess babies, especially since the vegans won't let us eat them....

[Sensei]

Well as you all know overpopulation is harming our planet, causing global warming, habitat loss, consumption of resources, etc.

Is there a way to remedy this?

Escape of the planet.. ?

 

Global warming is result of burning coal, oil and gas,

not exactly result of larger population of humans.

Production of more food require more CO2 from the air.

You're making equal sign between overpopulation and over-consumption (of things other than food).

Nobody needs new smartphone every year. Except the large companies making them, advertising them, supporting them,etc, and their shareholders.

 

It's burning fuel and making plastics (that's later throw away instead of turning back to usable hydrocarbons) what is the main problem now.

Solutions for this are simple:

1) electric cars, trains, devices

2) electric from the Sun or other renewable source

3) solar panels at the roof of every house

4) returnable plastic bottles

5) gathering and turning plastics to usable hydrocarbons

6) free public transportation, at least in city, will reduce cars, traffic, optimize usage of buses,trains, if people won't have to look at pocket while entering them

 

Will limiting the number of babies a couple can have in all countries be a solution?

In China it didn't work as everybody wanted to have boy,

and now have result of this, in absence of females for their males..

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/14/opinion/china-challenges-one-child-brooks/

"As a result, approximately 30 million more men than women will reach adulthood and enter China's mating market by 2020."

[ModernArtist25]

Escape of the planet.. ?

 

Global warming is result of burning coal, oil and gas,

not exactly result of larger population of humans.

 

Larger population of humans mean more food needed, and that means more factory farming. Factory farming contributes to global warming: http://www.ecowatch.com/how-factory-farming-contributes-to-global-warming-1881690535.html

Edited July 23, 2016 by ModernArtist25

[Phi for All]

so educating people is the way to go? How will education be accessible in all countries?

 

I think we need a major international fund dedicated to teaching basic reading/writing in both native tongues and in English (for science purposes), basic maths, hygiene, reproduction, and science. I think the goal should be giving a basic education to every human that wants it. But again, these are political fixes. This really has nothing to do with biology, other than gaining the knowledge of when our bodies are reproductively active.

[ModernArtist25]

 

I think we need a major international fund dedicated to teaching basic reading/writing in both native tongues and in English (for science purposes), basic maths, hygiene, reproduction, and science. I think the goal should be giving a basic education to every human that wants it. But again, these are political fixes. This really has nothing to do with biology, other than gaining the knowledge of when our bodies are reproductively active.

 

Please feel free to speak politically, would love to hear your opinion

[StringJunky]

 

It seems so wasteful to kill the excess babies, especially since the vegans won't let us eat them....

I think Soylent Green Veal might be quite tasty.

 

Please feel free to speak politically, would love to hear your opinion

It will need moving. It's not a biology question really anyway.

[Sensei]

Larger population of humans mean more food needed, and that means more factory farming. Factory farming contributes to global warming: http://www.ecowatch.com/how-factory-farming-contributes-to-global-warming-1881690535.html

You're thinking about larger usage of oil for tractors,

but farmers could make their own fuel from f.e. wastes from previous years, turn them to ethanol or other fuel, and burn it in modified engines of their devices.

[ModernArtist25]

You're thinking about larger usage of oil for tractors,

but farmers could make their own fuel from f.e. wastes from previous years, turn them to ethanol or other fuel, and burn it in modified engines of their devices.

Do most farmers make their own fuel?

[Lyudmilascience]

 

 

You think it's better than education? why so?

I never said its better then education I didnt say anything about education, don't put words in my mouth. I didnt even think of ways yet to do so, education is one of them.

[MigL]

You could feed the rest of the world with what we in the Western world throw out on a daily basis.

There is more than enough food production capacity to feed the world's population and then some.

But you can't look at problems in isolation.

 

Assume everyone in the world has access to health care and the average life span is about 85 yrs.

Assume everyone in the world has access to an education also.

 

That means that, with just a replacement birth rate such that world population remains steady, out of 85 yrs. every person spends the first 25 getting an education ( i.e. supported by the government ), and the last 20 on a pension ( supported by the government ). Every person spends more time being supported by the government than the 40 yrs where they actually pay taxes.

Do you think such a system is sustainable ?

Why do you think Western countries bring in young immigrants from countries with high birth rates ?

Do you think we do it out of a need to do good ?

[Phi for All]

Assume everyone in the world has access to health care and the average life span is about 85 yrs.

Assume everyone in the world has access to an education also.

 

That means that, with just a replacement birth rate such that world population remains steady, out of 85 yrs. every person spends the first 25 getting an education ( i.e. supported by the government ), and the last 20 on a pension ( supported by the government ). Every person spends more time being supported by the government than the 40 yrs where they actually pay taxes.

Do you think such a system is sustainable ?

 

The money spent to "support" you during the first 25 years is a fraction of the "support" you get from your pension for the last 20, so it's not like they stack equivalently. I think where our system of government becomes unsustainable is in all the overpayments to contractors, subsidies to already successful businesses, pork barrel projects, corporate welfare, and all the other corrupt practices we allow. It makes me wonder how successful we could be with even greater populations if the greed of the wealthy wasn't a factor, and they actually cared about the workers who make it all go round.