Two Billion?
 

Some scientists say that we in some way or another must reduce the population of the Earth to be able to live in a sustainable way with those resourses that exists. They also say that if we do not reduce our population Nature will some day do it for us, in a brutal way that we would not like. They say that a reasonable sustanable number of humans would be around two billion.
If this is true then we must gradually decrease our population until we reach a level that our planet can handle and where the resources will be enough for everyone.
But what is the best ways to do this? How shall we organize child and family planning in such a way? How shall we motivate people to participate in this change?
And how shall we distribute the resources of the Earth so that all people can get a fair share?

Encourage homosexual behavior: it's the natural contraception :P

Putting that aside, I wouldn't worry too much; in demographics it's a fact that once mortality decreases, fertility goes with it but at a slower pace. Until both mortality and fertility are at the same low level, you'll have a period in which the total population will increase.

Anyway, if we don't reduce our population by ourselves, something will do it for us: famines, wars for the last resources, hostile environments,...

Well, I personally don't believe overpopulation of the world is a problem right now. Maybe of large cities (in which I have no clue why people don't just move), but not in the world. You can take all 7 billion people and fit them in the Jacksonville county of Florida and they'll still be able to move around. Obviously, my point is not that we should all live in one area of the world. :P I mean that there're plenty of places for people to live today, and overpopulation is just a myth with examples only existing for big cities. Big cities may have overpopulation, but the world isn't overpopulated.

I think this business with "reducing to two billion" is nonsense, and fankly... I'm a bit nervous. Think about China's policy, and how many scared, controlled individuals have to deal with the laws there. You get pregnant again after your first child and you're required by law to abort it, no questions asked, whether you want the baby or not.

In no way are we close to overpopulating the planet. There is plenty of available land still available for farming or living space. The population that the planet can sustain is dependent upon how we use our resources. If every single person on this planet currently consumed as much as the average American, then the world would have collapsed long ago. If we manage our ecosystem carefully, the Earth can easily sustain the projected 11 billion or so with a very comfortable lifestyle.

And all the other non-human life? Sure, we might be able to sustain ourselves, but what if the cost is squeezing them out of existance?

We also need to be realistic when it comes to teaching youth and the undeveloped world about sex. Abstinance doesn't work. If it did, there would be no teenage pregnancies and Africa wouldn't have an AIDS crisis. We need to teach them the ins and outs (pun not intended :P) in a reasonable, scientific manner, and also make sure the tools for safe sex - condoms, birth control pills, etc - are available.

I mean, think about it. Abstinance is about as effective as turning a clepto loose at Wal-Mart and asking them nicely not to steal anything.

Yes 11 billion with a comfortable lifestyle and most of the environment intact. It will require some people to change their ways but its achieveable. Not an easy thing to do, unfortunately. Politics will get in the way. But when humans feel threatened they will find a solution to the problem eventually. The sooner we start the better. It would save us a lot of pain down the road.

Oh fe--... gah, the mental images are flowing through my brain!! :shoop: NOOO!!!!!!

This is a matter of sustainability, which is a very big and real problem. It has little to do with population, and everything to do with the demands of that population. So naturally the answer isn't a famine or a deadly storm, its consuming less. A lot less.

The world's population will peak at roughly 9.2 Billion in roughly 40-50 years. There's enough room for that many, but resources is another issue. That's why we need to act accordingly.

If you're wondering where I got any of this, its from my environmental professor. He and I agree, the future looks grim. But there's a lot of opportunity. Huge opportunities to make a real difference. There is a big call for new technologies to counter-act some of the inevitable outcomes.

Simple.

If you want to decrease population, limit every couple to one child. Leave it a couple generations, and there we are.
To sustain the population at it's best number, limit couples to 2 children. That way, the children are left in place of the adults.

China, anyone?

:rolleyes:

Possibly, but it's a definite way to get the population down.

Well I'm afraid the exact opposite is expected to happen. There's currently 6 billion people, and that number is expected to double in the next 25 years.

It's actually thought to be more like 6 1/2 billion people now. We'll have 7 billion before 2020.

I thought we already had over 7 billion already... ?

Confirmed.

We have 6.795 billion people.