zenfisher,
You can give me a bunch of websites that "prove" we are overpopulated and I could give you a bunch of websites that "prove" we aren't. What does it prove???
It proves you're afraid you're wrong.
The arguement you were making earlier was that there wasn't enough food in the world to feed everyone. Food is a renewable resource, we can't "use up" all of the food. It's not like an ore that there is a limited supply. If we need more food, we grow more food.
Food spoils. If simply growing more was the case...no one would be starving.
I agree with you that we are generally more polluted today that in the past but I think we'll both agree that compared to mother nature and the pollution that is caused through things like volcanic explosions we are bit players. It's a known fact that certain volcanic explosions in history have caused world-wide temperature reductions of 3 or 4 degrees immediately after the eruptions. Your right that we need to curb manufacturing pollution but that has nothing to do with population but rather it a result of the greed of the companies involved not wanting to pay for pollution control devices.
Volcanoes are part of the natural process. Again more people require more housing ( just one more little example. This requires lumber, plastic for the pipes, copper wiring, I think you see were I'm going here, although it is hard to tell. We use resources. After its built Hydro, water. This depletes resources.... which is a determining factor in overpopulation. Not to mention the more trees cut down the less oxygen produced.
I'm sure that Japan has some poverty, but which country do you believe has more the US or Japan? Which country has a higher population density? Could it be that the American culture is one where it is generally, "Every person for themselves."? As I've said poverty is almost exclusively a greed and political problem.
Japan is overpopulated and so is the US. If Japan was not over populated property values would be considerably cheaper. The last time I heard (1980) it $9000 (can) a month for 600 sqft apartment. I'd hate to think what they are now
Using your example that the more the people the more the pollution the higher the temperature, etc did we see a reduction of polution or temperature after WWII when all of those people died? How about with the war in Iraq and the tsunami, should I put an extra blanket on the bed tonight?? Of course not, because polution and temperature have nothing to do with population.
Despite how many peole died in in WWII, the population still grew.Tsunami, perfect example, despite two hundred thousand immiediate deaths, the population still grew.
Another question, if we were to eliminate the population from Asia, Africa and South America how much do you think manufacturing will decrease. We in North America and Europe use most of the worlds resources and by eliminating those people who use little in the way of manufactured goods we haven't reduced polution have we. Yes the manufacturing plants we have will have to get bigger or we would build more but even though the world's population would have been reduced by well over half the polution and resource usage would NOT decrease proportionally.
As China and India are burgeoning economic empires, you would see a decrease in demand for goods. Are you including Japan as part of Asia ? Korea? Both have a well established consumer base. Do you really think they don't buy manufactured products?
Another interesting point, could your decision not to have children be seen as one of greed. You've decided not to have the "burden" of children and by not having children have put the tax burden onto others to support you in your old age. Interesting on how, your decision that you believed was made to help society can in fact be viewed as a one that is detrimental to society.
