Science Forums 2

[Symbology]

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

You ask an excellent question. One that has been basically ignored since the publication of "The Population Bomb" back in the sixties.

I believe the reason no one wants to ask it publically, let alone deal with it, is that it has only two solutions (that I can think of):

1. You impose tyrannical reproduction constraints upon everyone (like China has attempted). This is pretty much guaranteed to outrage almost everybody, and probably trigger mass uprisings and revolts that you will have to put down by brutal force and the imposition of a police state. (Luckily, China already had a police state. )

2. You let the Bomb explode -- which it must, eventually. This will result in mass starvation and disease, and probably lots of really ugly wars; a time which I call the "Great Die Off". But at least there won't be any "authority" to blame. If the "Great Die Off" is only bad enough to kill off less than, say, 5% of the population, then you are faced with an unending series of "Great Die Offs", about one every 25 years.

The FUTURE -- Either live it or live with it.

I've read the other posts... and I still think Pyro has it correct. And I also think that #2 still ends up causing #1. We might be able to come up with something less than tyrannical. For starters I think free sterilization and/or birth control to anyone who wants it would be a great start.

From The Matrix:
Agent Smith: I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure.