Exactly. Use per capita is going down ( U.S. ), but the number of "capita" is going up!
( World-wide population is growing fast... Western Europe and N. America populations are not steady, but are growing pretty slow now...)
So in addition to capping other things (my opinion) we need to stop the increase of capita (our shared opinion....I think).
Why? Are you pissed at previous generations for inventing the automobile? Or the electric light? Or the computer?
We ARE making great strides in many areas. Electricity use per capita is going down. The number of forests being conserved is going up. Pollution per automobile is way, way down. The exhaust from cars these days isn't dirty. It just has CO2. Something you really can't avoid, but you can reduce by reducing fuel consumption.
It can support a finite number of us. Can the Earth support 500 billion people?
I think you would say no, that is ridiculous. Is 15 billion less ridiculous? Maybe not.
Which leads us to....
If you are getting at human overpopulation, then I totally agree with you.
If you are suggesting a major disease, war, or human catastrophe is in order, you are not out of line. Put rabbits, mice, birds, dogs, any creature (even plants) in a habitable environment with unlimited food supply ( yes, humans over-all have had unlimited food supply... a relatively few starve to death, while the bulk flurish ) and those creatures will be fruit-ful and multiply... at exponential rates. To a point. At some point, food demand exceeds supply. Do the creatures "taper off" and maintain a large population? Nope.
As soon as mouths exceed food, the vast majority of the population starves, dies off, then food becomes plentiful again, and the species slowly recovers.
I don't see how man can circumvent this. We can delay this, but without population control, you can't avoid it.
The truth is, we should not spend another dime on CO2 caps, emissions caps, consumption caps and the like. We should put all our time, effort, and money into population caps. Man, is perhaps the only creature capable of mentally controlling his own reproduction rate.
People don't like the idea of being told they can only have 2 children.
However, that IS the ONLY smart, responsible, sustainable solution out there.
With population caps, we will not need caps on anything else.
And that's the gospel truth.
While I definitely agree with the fact that this planet needs population control, I don't understand why the pollution of our planet is a DEBATE? If you run your vehicle in the garage with the door shut you will pass out and die. So should we debate whether the emissions are bad for the planet or not? I don't have to be a scientist to figure out emissions are posionous to humans and we should do everything possible to limit them.
People don't like the idea of being told they can only have 2 children.
However, that IS the ONLY smart, responsible, sustainable solution out there....
And that's the gospel truth.
You are so right. BTW good thing you posted this here, there are plenty of places where instead of agreeing with you, they would have flamed you off the board. People don't like hearing the truth sometimes...
Personally I wouldn't be against limiting families to two children, but it depends entirely on how it's accomplished. Chemical sterilization before the fact is OK by me.
After the fact? Well that ushers in a whole new debate which would probably be useless.
There are many reports of countries like China who abuse the two child policy and separate babies from the mothers, and kill them right there.
An example of good intentions with tragic results. I'm sure the authorities carrying this out is only "Following the rules".
I would not have desired to be one of those babies, nor would I do it to myself now or to you for any reason.
The next step in forced population control is against old folks. Of course I'm against that too.
-Steve
Efficient drivers do it better. 1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT
Last edited by Hot_Georgia_2004; 04-25-2008 at 09:03 AM.
Hybrids: 2005 Diet Ford Escape FWD, 2000 Honda Insight
Posts: 2,562
Re: Earth Day, Hybrid Cars, and Al Gore
The change in Chinese meat consumption habits since 1995 is diverting 8.0 billion bushels of grain to livestock feed — more than the entire 2.3 billion bushel harvest used to make US ethanol.
There has been a swirling controversy over what is driving up the price of corn, and it looks like it is China. High energy costs too of course, and China.
China's consumption of meat was 16 kilograms per person 25 years ago, in 1983.
In 1995, meat consumption was 25 kilograms per person, and is 53 kilograms per person today - according to the World Resources Institute.
China Population in 1995: 1.203 billion
Meat consumption per capita: 25 kilograms
Grain needed to support meat consumption: 150.375 million tonnes
Population in 2008: 1.321 billion
Meat consumption per capita: 53 kilograms
Grain needed to support meat consumption: 350.065 million tonnes
Change 1995-2008 in meat consumption: 39.938 million tonnes
Change 1995-2008 in grain consumption: 199.69 million tonnes
Conclusion: China is consuming four times as much additional grain, since 1995, as the US ethanol industry, and demand is increasing by 615 million bushels per year. Even if the US ethanol industry were to go away overnight, in less than 4 years, China’s rising grain demand would wipe out the savings.
Mexican population increase since 1993: 19 percent
Mexican corn production increase since 1993: 18 percent Mexican corn consumption increase since 1993: 57 percent
U.S. exports, as share of Mexican white corn (tortilla corn) market in 2007: 14 percent
Mexican corn production increases are keeping up with population increases, but falling rapidly behind in terms of meeting increased caloric demand.
Conclusion?
As nations get more wealth, they consume more.
There is a shortage of food, in part, because people are getting fat. People eat 3000 calories a day when 2000 calories is more than enough, and just a few years ago, nations that were poor like China ate 1500 calories per day. Places like China are not poor anymore. The U.S. is getting poorer, and China is getting richer.
No wonder, since all our goods are made over there.
The U.S. is getting poorer, and China is getting richer.
Well, then Americans will eat less. If climate change persists, then even here in the Great Northwet we'll be able to live in a mud hut, not worry about freezing, and wipe with leaves.
Other than Africa I don't think there is even a shortage of food. It is that it has gotten expensive due to energy. I read an article on Haiti and the riots are more that the food on the shelves are just too expensive to buy, not that there is no food to begin with. Shortages are around the corner though as Vietnam, India, and others restrict exports of rice just to keep prices low in their respective countries.
As for China's population control policies I think it's mainly done through standard abortions. If you have more than one, that's fine, you'll just be fined through the nose. Besides the culture there wants boys and ultrasounds are very popular there and as soon as they find out it's a girl that is when it is taken care of. Since boys generally live shorter than girls their solution is even more effective, if in a perverse way.
Re: Earth Day, Hybrid Cars, and Al Gore
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT
