population reduction being pushed now (page 3)

Warlock

beks,

Sometimes the fear mongering reminds me of the Org.

Every tragic thing that was to happen, didn't happen, except for the parts of our lives we wasted.

Anyway, I know the fish is fresher up north.

Ahhhhhhhhh, the memories.

Warlock

The thing is W, I really believe it is something we need to address. Not get hysterical or anything, but like say.................we recycle now, because we finally figured out we could only dump so much garbage into landfills. Or that oddly enough, shitting out the window into the street which runs into the river which is our water supply can cause diseases. It's all part of the human growing up. Now we realize, that in order to sustain a decent life for all, we need to protect our resources. The very best way to do that, is not to have too many humans drawing on them. I don't see it as fear mongering, I see it as wonderful that we are learning, and even more wonderful that there are answers to our problems.

rebel8

Good, I'm glad to see increased dialogue about this very important topic.

No all the rainforests aren't gone, just a large percentage. I believe the human race is way too selfish to turn this situation around.

Spook

I have no problem with genetic modifications...or making almost any democratic choice if the end is clearly stated. My problem is that we are walking into it in constant denial. We have the unmatched ability to create and sustain a technological world in which most would not want live.

There is a good podcast from the London School of Economics recently regarding this. Much of the inequality which would preceed environmental impact would arise because of the relative age differences between densely and normally populated nations, giving a defacto and irrevocable difference in wealth and quality of living. One that would be ever expanding.

SacrificialLoon

I believe the human race is way too selfish to turn this situation around.

Yup, like rats scrambling to the top of a sinking ship pushing each other out of the way, too stupid and no sense beyond self to be able to fix the ship. Perhaps enough people will be able to act for the greater good though.

Spook

To backup Warlock perhaps, even as an environmental scientist I think the social impacts would obtain long before the environment became impossible. It would be a gradual grinding down of the quality of life in the third world.

Theoretically, I can imagine a world sustained by technology in which most people may prefer to live over one with a balance of nature. I can not imagine an overpopulated one with large inequality which would be as well received.

I think there is every reason to deincentivis decisions with bad externalities (effects on those others who had no part in the choice) such as having large numbers of children, and further there are good reasons to incentivise decisions with positive externalities.

If I'll pay anyway, I'd rather pay to prevent than pay to maintain. Or fix.

Furthermore, the social contract does rely on preserving a civil society. So in the long term, for anyone to have security and happiness great amounts of inequality should not be maximized.

SacrificialLoon

The problem I see with that Spook is the types of people that are against this sort of thing are the exact same types that would be against having any sort of society with the ability to artificially disincentivize these things. The individual not caring about externalities that affect the group is the main reason we have these enviromental, and financial, and societal problems.

beksbks

Personally, I think the education and empowerment of women around the world would put us squarely on the right path. When women are able to think of themselves as more than baby makers, or play things for men, we'll be getting somewhere. The biggest obstacle to that I think is religion. So again, education is paramount.

beksbks

In countries such as America, tax credits for those who DON'T have children as opposed to those who do might be a good move.

John Doe

When women are able to think of themselves as more than baby makers, or play things for men, we'll be getting somewhere.

I agree. It is good for women to have a healthy imagination.

population reduction being pushed now

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