Earth 'entering new extinction phase' - US study

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
35,896
10,222
136
Our industrial terraforming and destruction of natural habitats is largely responsible for the observed changes. We may even be indirectly responsible for the rise of the parasite that's killing off honeybees.

If we simply stopped immigration into our country, our population would level off and slightly decline. That's a step in the right direction, is it not? I think you know how "agreeable" (or not) that proposal is.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
33,389
12,992
136
Our industrial terraforming and destruction of natural habitats is largely responsible for the observed changes. We may even be indirectly responsible for the rise of the parasite that's killing off honeybees.

If we simply stopped immigration into our country, our population would level off and slightly decline. That's a step in the right direction, is it not? I think you know how "agreeable" (or not) that proposal is.

if you move people from area A to area B, you haven't really changed anything.

if anything, a drive towards "sustainable" technologies is going to help this sort of thing - although i really do question how much energy you can pull out of the wind, ocean, and atmosphere (solar) before your start affect the environment again - TANSTAAFL.

but reducing the need to harvest resources in the first place - by heavy recycling, is probably one of the best things we can do. however, if we continue to elevate the quality of living of people across the globe - which is arguably a moral imperative - the demand for resources only increases.
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
35,896
10,222
136
if you move people from area A to area B, you haven't really changed anything.

Doubling the population of the United States, to 600 million, changes many things. Maybe we shouldn't do that. Maybe we should act to change that, by changing our policy.

however, if we continue to elevate the quality of living of people across the globe - which is arguably a moral imperative - the demand for resources only increases.

If we trash the planet in our quest to elevate quality of living... did we really succeed?
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
Doubling the population of the United States, to 600 million, changes many things. Maybe we shouldn't do that. Maybe we should act to change that, by changing our policy.

Curious as to what respectable predictions have 600 million American residents anytime in the 21st century?
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
Well it is long past time for an international cooperative project between America, China, India, Brazil, and European countries to work on researching and constructing nuclear power on a massive scale throughout the world to generate more power while doing it far more cleanly and thus preserving the biosphere.
 

bradly1101

Diamond Member
May 5, 2013
4,689
294
126
www.bradlygsmith.org
We live in an economy based on the need for infinite growth. Without an ever growing population with jobs to give everyone, it all comes crashing down. Wait...with an increasing population and the requisite pollution, water and food needs (partially causing the demise of the bees), it all comes crashing down too. If you're not at least fifty (meaning you'll be gone before it gets too bad) you're screwed.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
Just look at how our population tripled in the past century alone.
Doubling would signify a significant reduction in growth rate.

The population increase rate is actually slowing around the world including African countries or at least the overall predictions for 2050. That massive boost might have been possible because of the Green Revolution and we are probably close to what the resulting technology can sustain right now. The prediction for the total population of America in 2050 is 430 million which is notable lower than the 600 million you had mentioned. You realize that the increases in population were more in the first half of the 20th century in America especially with the Baby Boomers who are now retiring?

https://www.google.com/search?q=america+2050+population+prediction&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
We live in an economy based on the need for infinite growth. Without an ever growing population with jobs to give everyone, it all comes crashing down. Wait...with an increasing population and the requisite pollution, water and food needs (partially causing the demise of the bees), it all comes crashing down too. If you're not at least fifty (meaning you'll be gone before it gets too bad) you're screwed.

Exactly why capitalism is going to come crashing down crashing down in a terrible cataclysm in the next few centuries.
 

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,838
39
91
We'll have robotic bee drones that will take over their work by that time.
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,883
641
126
Why don't you guys get it? The human race is just another bad mutation. We can no more change our destiny that the millions of species before us that failed and disappeared. We'd like to think we can make sufficient changes and some of us far more than others. But it just ain't gonna happen. The world will continue to orbit the sun and eventually when the Earth is ready, something new will emerge.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
Why don't you guys get it? The human race is just another bad mutation. We can no more change our destiny that the millions of species before us that failed and disappeared. We'd like to think we can make sufficient changes and some of us far more than others. But it just ain't gonna happen. The world will continue to orbit the sun and eventually when the Earth is ready, something new will emerge.

D:

gop.txt
 

TheVrolok

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
24,254
4,092
136
Why don't you guys get it? The human race is just another bad mutation. We can no more change our destiny that the millions of species before us that failed and disappeared. We'd like to think we can make sufficient changes and some of us far more than others. But it just ain't gonna happen. The world will continue to orbit the sun and eventually when the Earth is ready, something new will emerge.

... lol.
 

Blue_Max

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2011
4,223
153
106
Well it is long past time for an international cooperative project between America, China, India, Brazil, and European countries to work on researching and constructing nuclear power on a massive scale throughout the world to generate more power while doing it far more cleanly and thus preserving the biosphere.

...provided nothing - ab-so-loot-lee NOTHING goes wrong. Otherwise, the "clean" aspect becomes "toxic nightmare".


...and don't knock over those waste barrels over there. And over there. And down there. :whiste:
ee128159785a66057a1d6a667317e021.jpg
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
35,896
10,222
136
Nuclear is an immediate bridge to get us to a more mature solar industry.

No one should plan on it lasting more than a century.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
Nuclear is an immediate bridge to get us to a more mature solar industry.

No one should plan on it lasting more than a century.


Or the rapture will happen as most southerners think.

Just so long as Israel exists so that the angel Gabriel can come down and slaughter all the jews.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
Nuclear is an immediate bridge to get us to a more mature solar industry.

No one should plan on it lasting more than a century.

Well actually by the end of the 21st century we will probably have fusion power and all the desalination facilities and vertical farms that would go with that shit.

Plus when I say we need to build more nuclear power what I am referring to is generation 3+ and generation 4 nuclear power facilities.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
Well actually by the end of the 21st century we will probably have fusion power and all the desalination facilities and vertical farms that would go with that shit.

Plus when I say we need to build more nuclear power what I am referring to is generation 3+ and generation 4 nuclear power facilities.


That would be good. Right now we are looking at a major nuke accident every 50 years that has an effect of 20k or more years. If we could stretch the accident rate out a bit it would be nice.