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Very informative discussion regarding growth and resources.

Very informative for people not aware of exponential functions and the consequences of them.
except, unlike rats, humans have the intelligence to stop procreating as much when it becomes less profitable.

It's a lack of people in the new generations, not an overpopulation of people, that's the problem that our western societies face.

you can see it in the urban portions of Europe and Asia, people, unlike rats, make a decision to stop producing extra offspring when the population becomes to dense. Less immigration the population of Europe is aging and dwindling, same with Japan, and before we run out of resources the same will be true of America
 
Originally posted by: LordMagnusKain
Very informative for people not aware of exponential functions and the consequences of them.
except, unlike rats, humans have the intelligence to stop procreating as much when it becomes less profitable.

It's a lack of people in the new generations, not an overpopulation of people, that's the problem that our western societies face.

you can see it in the urban portions of Europe and Asia, people, unlike rats, make a decision to stop producing extra offspring when the population becomes to dense. Less immigration the population of Europe is aging and dwindling, same with Japan, and before we run out of resources the same will be true of America

why doesn't the same thing happen in Africa then?

people aren't as smart - especially in 'aggregate' - as you claim😉
 
Why doesn't the same thing happen in Africa then?
From an African native ?I want a son, a son will grow up and help you carry logs for you and take care of you when you get old?

Africans have a high population growth rate because it?s profitable for them to do so at the personal level. Europeans don?t gain a benefit from the burden of raising a child in a western society. As the world moves away from its agrarian roots the population in those parts of the world will stabilize.
Population growth will not solve the problems of population growth.
No, developments in food production and resource management will have to continue but population has leveled out and even declined in most of Europe, less immigration and is a trend that is likely to continue as population densities increase.


Could people choose to keep having kids more kids than it takes to replace them, even when they can only afford to live in small apartments in a city? Sure, but they aren?t very likely to.
 
Originally posted by: LordMagnusKain
Why doesn't the same thing happen in Africa then?
From an African native ?I want a son, a son will grow up and help you carry logs for you and take care of you when you get old?

Africans have a high population growth rate because it?s profitable for them to do so at the personal level. Europeans don?t gain a benefit from the burden of raising a child in a western society. As the world moves away from its agrarian roots the population in those parts of the world will stabilize.
No - it used to be profitable to do so. Western medical intervention means that a family with 8 children no longer faces the prospect of 4-6 of those children succumbing to disease before adulthood. Instead, the number of children is disadvantageous, as the family can't afford to feed itself properly (in many cases) and the result is unhealthy growth iof a population which is statistically malnourished.
Population growth will not solve the problems of population growth.
No, developments in food production and resource management will have to continue but population has leveled out and even declined in most of Europe, less immigration and is a trend that is likely to continue as population densities increase.

Could people choose to keep having kids more kids than it takes to replace them, even when they can only afford to live in small apartments in a city? Sure, but they aren?t very likely to.
[/quote]We will hit the limits of agricultural capacity long before there's an objective need for people to live in tiny appartments. Especially in North America, where most housing developments still turn an acre of farmland into 2-3 ridiculous houses (near me, they average 4000 sq. ft.). Crowded cities only exist because they are efficient; they aren't 'needed'.

Crop science right now is highly dependent on oil production, for everything from fertilizers to harvesting equipment. If we see unstable oil supplies in the future, it won't be like 'leaving your car at home because gas is too expensive/not available), rather it will be a major disruption in the food supply which causes most of the damage.

 
Originally posted by: LordMagnusKain
Why doesn't the same thing happen in Africa then?
From an African native ?I want a son, a son will grow up and help you carry logs for you and take care of you when you get old?

Africans have a high population growth rate because it?s profitable for them to do so at the personal level. Europeans don?t gain a benefit from the burden of raising a child in a western society. As the world moves away from its agrarian roots the population in those parts of the world will stabilize.
Population growth will not solve the problems of population growth.
No, developments in food production and resource management will have to continue but population has leveled out and even declined in most of Europe, less immigration and is a trend that is likely to continue as population densities increase.


Could people choose to keep having kids more kids than it takes to replace them, even when they can only afford to live in small apartments in a city? Sure, but they aren?t very likely to.
Society as a whole will not be able to deal with a fairly sudden change in the availablity of resources, particularly the lack of food.
 
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