As of 24 August 2009, the Earth’s population is estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6.78 billion. The world population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death around 1400.
There have been short term declines in population due to plague, for example in the mid 17th century. The fastest rates of world population growth occurred briefly during the 1950s then for a longer period during the 1960s and 1970s.
According to projections, world population will continue to grow until around 2050. World births have leveled off at about 134-million-per-year, since their peak at 163-million in the late 1990s, and are expected to remain constant. However, deaths are only around 57 million per year, and are expected to increase to 90 million by the year 2050. Because births outnumber deaths, the world’s population is expected to reach about 9 billion by the year 2040.
No wonder traffic is getting worse. The cost of living keeps rising. There are simply too many people living on the planet. There is only so much room. Something needs to be done. We need to reduce the population. Maybe Sarah Palin is right, we need “death panels.”
Disease would help. How about a pandemic of the swine flu? Aids? Institute another plague. Widespread starvation would help. Then there is the ever popular war that should move things along gingerly. A hydrogen bomb here and there would relieve the pressure. In short, we need to get rid of a whole bunch of people now living. Old people have outlived their usefulness and are a drag on the rest of the population. We can get rid of them making it easier for the younger.
That only addresses the present population on earth. What about the future? Since births outnumber the deaths we need to reduce the birth rate. One idea might be to impose a death penalty on couples who produce kids. Make sex illegal. Celibacy should help.
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) saw the problem long ago. The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man. In a sense we’re eating ourselves out of house and home. Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence increases only in an arithmetical ratio. The resources of the earth, upon which we all depend, are finite and can only sustain a limited population.
That’s a plan. Now we need to decide who is going to determine who needs to be exterminated. Somebody has to do it. Those “some bodies,” of course, would have to be exempt from extermination.
This is a giant undertaking. We have to think big. We need to identify the target populations to be removed from earth. That means classifying them. Should we eliminate entire continents? Races? Religions? Or, perhaps classes of people. Maybe get rid of the poor, sick, the infirm. They consume more than they are worth. Keep workers that are productive. They’re needed to sustain the elite. Someone must raise and produce the food for us to eat.
That should work. A whole population of workers to produce the stuff we elites need to keep the world’s population in balance. As I say, somebody has to do it.
I can see the opportunities now. It isn’t without precedent. The queen bee and her worker bees. The leader wolf and his pack of wolves. The lead goose and the flock that follows. Nature is full of such examples.
See how simple it all is?
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I’m a professor at Sierra Nevada College in Northern Nevada. This is exactly the topic of a class I teach in Political-Economic Geography. A Science Prof at the College recently showed me this fantastic Easter Island computer simulation where you can change population growth, and two other variables change depending on population growths: stone structures, and the food source banana tress. The population must stay at a relative consistent for the society to stay sustainable. A mere decimal up or down destroys the society very quickly. I think it’s a great representation for what we’re in form in modern times.
I’m working on a campaign to prevent coal plants from being built in our great state. Although, after thinking about this what does it matter? A little more pollution (only trivial after the damage mining has done), a few more health problems, and a weakened economy. We’re all going to die anyway….
Thank you Emily for the comment. Malthus was well ahead of his time. The key, I think, is to somehow keep population growth in balance with earth’s resources. I confess I don’t know how that can be accomplished. The blog post I wrote was “tongue in cheek.” Interesting that you are addressing the problem in your class.
As to coal plants — you may be right. I often quote Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
There is no need at all for any death panel, disease or other calamity. As mentioned, we are already losing fifty million people per year, nothing else is as efficient as death from natural cause. All it takes is to limit the birth rate. Overpopulated countries need to be told loud and clear about contraception, birth control, family planning. Two kids per family worldwide ought to be the norm.
I WOULD LIKE TO MEET EMILY…. I ALSO TOOK THE TIME TO ADD UP THE ANNUAL SALARIES OF THE SEVEN TOP CEOS OF THE PRIVATE HEALTH COMPANYS AND I CAME TO THE STAGGERING FIGURE OF 63BILLION385 MILLION 820THOUSAND AND IF WE JUST LOP OFF THE HEADS OF THOSE COMPANIES LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE WOULD HAVE AVAILABLE TO SERVE IN LOCAL CLINICS TO HELP THE UNEMPLOYED AND HOMELESS.. AND THATS JUST THE TOP.. THINK OF THE SALARIES OF THE VICE PRES OF PAPER CLIPS IN ALL THOSE SEVEN COMPANIES???? AND THEIR ASSTS…… THEN CUT THE FUNDS PAYED AND BONUSES…STOCK OPTIONS THAT COST THE STOCK HOLDERS.. WHO HAVE TO PAY THE REGULAR PRICE FOR THE STOCK THEY GET FOR 1/3 THE COST.. AND THE ADVERTISERS THE CO. PAYS FOR .. I ALWAYS THINK OF THOSE EXPENSIVE ADDS… BUT THEN THE MAGS ARE FAILING AND SO ARE THE NEWPAPERS.. SO THERE IS A SAVING THERE…YES WE NEED UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE OF AT LEAST THE OPTION AND MUST HAVE IT TO SURVIVE VAL VON HOLT
OH AND I FORGOT THE FUNDS SPENT LOBBING CONGRESS…. AND LOBBISTS ….
Yes, those wonderful lobbyists. The industry is spending $1.4 million a day on their lobbying effort. Wendell Potter talks about them as well.
ORDERING POTTERS BOOK… I HAVE SEEN HIM ONMSNBC RACHEL MADDOW S SHOW AND ALSO KEITHS… HE WAS ON STEVEM COLBERTS SHOW AS WELL…RON STWEART AND COLBERT ARE ON BETWEEN 8 AND 9 ON CHANNEL 249 THE COMODEY HOUR… THEY GIVE YOU THE NEWS WITH HUMOR SOMETHING WE ALL NEED…THAT WAY IS DOESNT HURT SO BADLY WHEN WE CRY OVER THE DEAF AND DUMB VOTERS… YEARS AGO I READ IN THE AMERICAN HUMANISTS NEWS LETTER AN ESSAY BY A FAMOUS MAN WHOSE NAME I CANT REMEMBER .. THE TITLE WAS DEMOCRASY OF THE MASSES… ANS WE ARE SEEIGN THAT THESE DAYS IN THE MOBS OF UN-READING FOLKS WHO TAKE WHATEVER IS TOLD THEM AS GOSPEL AND NEVER CHALLENGING THE FACTS… IF THEY DID THEY WOULD SEE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PICTURE…VAL
I pay a good deal of attention to Wendell Potter. His having been a Vice-President of CIGNA and personally privy to how insurance companies protect and increase their profits at the expense of consumers places him in a unique position and perspective. It is a shame that the vast majority of voters choose to remain ignorant of facts, particularly concerning health care reform. I daresay most Senators and Representatives are ignorant of the relevant facts as well. Senators and Representatives are primarily interested in their re-elections rather than the well-being of their constituents. But, alas, it seems to have always been so.
Thank you for your comment Val.
Hey Val: I would love to talk with you more. Feel free to email me: emily.rhodenbaugh@sierraclub.org. I’m thinking about a camping trip in Red Rock when it cools down, maybe we can have coffee in Nye County.
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