George Dishman wrote:
"Rudolph_X" wrote in message
...

Folks complain about over-population, of too many people and not enough
jobs, resources, etc. Let's face it, people are not going to stop
procreating, so the over-population problem is just going to contine to
escalate.

Historically, the solution governments used to control over population
was to kill off vast numbers of peoples, usually by starting great wars
where millions were culled off untill population levels reached
manageable proportions.

We need to devise methods and provide incentives to governments and
peoples to stop the killing and colonize the Universe instead.

The colonization of Mars would be a great place to start.


Assuming we could do that tomorrow and put as many people
on Mars as there are on Earth, if the population is doubling
every 50 years then all you have done is postpone the problem
for 50 years, and then you have twice the number of people
procreating and kids to cull. If we could do the same for
another 6 planets in the Solar System, you can buy another
100 years after Mars (8 planets = 2^3 = 3*50 years).

Then what? Another star system of 8 planets in the next 50
years, two more in the following 50 and so on? In the meantime
the people left on each planet still have to solve the social
problems of living in a finite-resource environment. All the
colonisation of Mars would do is give us an excuse for not
facing the real problem and leaving it for the next generation,
something at which politicians are quite good enough already.

In reality population growth is slowing and nobody knows why
so the current concern is a population collapse. You need to
update your doom scenario.

George



You have to take into account that new innovations will change the
formula. Your calculations are based on the old faulty premise that no
new innovations will arise to help alleviate the problem.

Also, folks certainly know why population growths might temporarily be
in decline. They delcine for the same reasons now as in the past:
conditions are not right for the populations to grow.

We have vast numbers of peoples who are unemployed, and even more who
are under employed. We have entire generations of youth infested with
rampant venerial diseases, spreading even now as we speak. We have
record breaking numbers of the population incarcerated and engaging in
unspeakable sexual perversions. We have all kinds of new diseases like
AIDS and a whole host of other newer diseases decimating populations
world wide.

We have pesticides and pollution in the air and water, and gender
altering hormones in our foods inhibiting natural reproduction. We are
deluged with drugs of every kind imaginable insidiously altering our
biological functions.

And of course, we have wars, and the crime rates, murders, etc., is
always rising higer and higher. And, the list goes on and on... yet
despite all this, the population continues to grow, with an occasional
dip in growth rates.

Nevertheless, mankind will continue to grow and will colonize the
Universe, or die trying. Where else is there to go? What else is there
to do?