National Geographic 7 Billion People Video

[MA-Caver]

Interesting video and stats.
[yt]sc4HxPxNrZ0[/yt]

Approaching 2045 we're supposed to hit 9 billion... that is at the present rate of birth to death ratio... however upcoming wars should knock that figure down some... disease, famine and other population decliners would play a role in postponing that figure.

True right now we all could stand together and fill up Los Angeles (removing all the buildings and such)... but can we FEED that many mouths... 3X a day 365 days a year? That is the big question ... people are starving and dying of hunger daily, mainly because there's a price-tag on food that a vast majority can't meet.

The middle east is boiling hot right now thanks to Egypt's win in removing an unpopular political figure... now Iran and others are joining in. How many will die out there in the desert lands? How many are already dying in Africa via genocidal megalomaniac warlords vying for supreme leadership?

Natural disasters can take a big toll as we've already seen in the far east. Tsunami's wiping out 240K, earth quakes taking tens to hundreds of thousands... how many more are coming around the corner?

Hit 9 Billion in 34 years... umm, doesn't seem likely.

thoughts, ideas, comments?

 

[Nomad]

Wars, famine, and natural disasters are not new, but somehow we've apparently made it to 7 billion, and don't really show any signs of slowing down. I suspect the 34 years is a guesstimate made with assumptions of similar rates of the above worked in.

Feeding that many more is certainly a challenge, but is one that can be met through GM foods and other high-yielding techniques (in theory at least). This rate of growth is obviously unsustainable in the long term; the "interesting" part will be in how the population is cut back to more manageable levels, or cut back significantly to allow more growth in the future (widespread famine, disease, wars all possibilities here).

Eventually, though, the planet will find an equilibrium, though it may involve a fairly large population crash (or more than one) somewhere down the road.

 

[MA-Caver]

Wars, famine, and natural disasters are not new, but somehow we've apparently made it to 7 billion, and don't really show any signs of slowing down. I suspect the 34 years is a guesstimate made with assumptions of similar rates of the above worked in.

Feeding that many more is certainly a challenge, but is one that can be met through GM foods and other high-yielding techniques (in theory at least). This rate of growth is obviously unsustainable in the long term; the "interesting" part will be in how the population is cut back to more manageable levels, or cut back significantly to allow more growth in the future (widespread famine, disease, wars all possibilities here).

Eventually, though, the planet will find an equilibrium, though it may involve a fairly large population crash (or more than one) somewhere down the road.

Yes true... even with a major war of nukes and the subsequent recovery from that much devastation, will the planet be able to handle the drain on the remaining resources? We look at how a nuclear war would wipe out a significant portion of the HUMAN population... but what about the rest of the life that is on it? Plants and animals? Chernobyl has shown that animals do come back to an area after it's been "nuked" (fall out) but are they healthy? Are they viable breeding population? Tests still needs to be done.

Even if we don't get into a major war (unlikely) the drain on the planets resources will eventually become very strained (if they're not already as loudly touted by environmentalists).
I think it's going to get interesting in the next 20-30 years.

 

[Ken Morgan]

7 billion? That’s a lot of sex…..

 

[granfire]

oh yeah...

especially all those attempts that didn't take...makes you wonder how the old globe doesn't lose it's track through space...it ought to wobble more.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Wars tend to not really affect the population growth of the world, a small blip and that would be about it. Even famines are small blips in the bigger picture.

A pandemic however, like the plagues of the early Middle Ages and the Spanish flu of 1918/1919, would have far reaching consequences, especially as most of us are now in close contact in urban environments. Statistically we are long over due for one, but medical research in 2011 is fantastic, so the long term consequences are unknown.

I see the growth rate decreasing, as you empower women, give them control over their reproductive systems and educate them, birth rates seriously decrease. The current rise in democracy can only help women and thus the rate of growth.

I have hope that we are not doomed.

 

[Ken Morgan]

oh yeah...

especially all those attempts that didn't take...makes you wonder how the old globe doesn't lose it's track through space...it ought to wobble more.