Comments on: Population Matters (And So Does How We Talk About It)

By: H.W. Braham

H.W. Braham — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:14:04 +0000

If you haven’t seen the most recent tome on sustainability and the human influence, please look at Chuck Fowler’s new book – to wit, “…the best we can do…[sic]… be guided by, emperical patterns in nature – the infinite guiding the finite.” (page 226)

Fowler, Charles W. 2009. Systemic Management: Sustainable Human Interactions with Ecosystems and the Biosphere. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. 295 pp.

By: A F "Bob" Blair Jr

A F "Bob" Blair Jr — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:18:28 +0000

For those who say population is not a problem, I write the following real problem for them to solve or agree with me:
The population of the World as of 2000 was 6,071,710,896 (US Census, http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/udb/worldpop.html). In 1980 it was 4,447,081,447. A person contains 10.0% Hydrogen by weight. Assume that the average person weighs 150 pounds. There are 326,000,000 cubic miles of water on the earth in the seas, lakes, air and ground (US Geological Survey, http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html). Water contains 10% Hydrogen. Water weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot. Based on the compounding growth in the those 20 years, how many years (Y) from 2000 will it be until all the Hydrogen in people equal all the Hydrogen in all the Water? (Assume that all deceased persons are converted back to water.)
If you slept through logarithms in math, then I give you my calculation:

6,071,710,896 * 150 *0.10 * (6,071,710,896 ÷ 4,447,081,447)^((1÷20) *Y) = 326,000,000 * 5280^3 * 62.4 * .10 = 2.994359619 * 10^20
(6,071,710,896 ÷ 4,447,081,447 )^((1÷20) * Y) = (326,000,000 * 52803 * 62.4 * .10) ÷ (6,071,710,896 * 150 * .10) LN is the Natural Logarithm
LN(6,071,710,896 ÷ 4,447,081,447) * ((1÷20) * Y) = LN((326,000,000 * 5280^3 * 62.4 * .10) ÷ (6,071,710,896,429 * 150 * .10))
Y = 20 * LN((326,000,000 * 5280^3 * 62.4 * .10) ÷ (6,071,710,896 * 150 * .10)) ÷ LN(6,071,710,896 ÷ 4,447,081,447) = 1405.8182 years

So what is the solution to the problem that would be acceptable to the nay sayers?

By: Pete Murphy

Pete Murphy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:54:08 +0000

The biggest obstacle we face in changing attitudes toward overpopulation is economists. Since the field of economics was branded “the dismal science” after Malthus’ theory, economists have been adamant that they would never again consider the subject of overpopulation and continue to insist that man is ingenious enough to overcome any obstacle to further growth. Even worse, economists insist that population growth is vital to economic growth. This is why world leaders continue to ignore population growth in the face of mounting challenges like peak oil, global warming and a whole host of other environmental and resource issues.

But because they are blind to population growth, there’s one obstacle they haven’t considered: the finiteness of space available on earth. The very act of using space more efficiently creates a problem for which there is no solution: it inevitably begins to drive down per capita consumption and, consequently, per capita employment, leading to rising unemployment and poverty.

If you‘re interested in learning more about this important new economic theory, then I invite you to visit either of my web sites at OpenWindowPublishingCo.com or PeteMurphy.wordpress.com where you can read the preface, join in the blog discussion and, of course, buy the book if you like.

Pete Murphy
Author, “Five Short Blasts”

By: ProfessorEmeritus PeterBagnolo

ProfessorEmeritus PeterBagnolo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:02:55 +0000

The underground methods of racial stereotyping and political targeting make any attempt at population growth into a negative number are undermined by the manipulation of the evil apparent when self-anointed “Elites” are secretly planning to loose Pandemics upon the public, allowing the Faux title “Terrorists” to mask government attempts to cause mass murders, riots, planned “Katrina-like” non-responses, mercenary murderers running amok with impunity, poisoned water and foods, removing health care, forced Euthanasia and all other nefarious schemes. It is the scientific Community which is responsible for the population growth. Curiosity and avarice brought staying alive with toxic drug use, though ravaged by life ending disease as the all important matter.

Life is what one makes of it and those who contribute nothing but evil and strife should be valued as less than necessary. We have seen people around the world caught in the throes of horrible marriage partnerships by a shrew or monster, corporate leaders who do little but consume, and are paid more to case harm than good, pesticide makers, toxic waste collectors and thousands of other Demoniacs striking at the heart of humanity, need to be categorically eliminated, leaving us perhaps with only people of good heart and good cheer.