Is overpopulation a problem for humanity?

Answer 1

This site - http://www.overpopulation.com/ - believes that the world is not now, nor likely to ever be overpopulated.

This site, however, - http://www.overpopulation.org/ - believes that it is a problem and that we need to be made aware of the world overpopulation.

You can check both sites out and see which makes the more convincing argument.

Answer 2

Recently read an article about developed nations experiencing negative population growth, while some countries, for example, India, continue to grow rapidly.

From what I have read, the world is not in any near danager of reaching a critical population saturation.

The question is not, are there too many people, or even, are there enough resources to go around...but more are the resources in the right places and can the people who need the resources able to create/develope/afford what they need. I think this goes back to Bono's question on POVERTY. It is obvious that there are some nations that have more people than can be locally provided for...however, in today's global economy, that is only a shortcoming because of money. If we could find away for under developed countries to maintain control of their resources, develope these resources, and then use them for the good of the country, that country will stop being a burden, and instead be a contributor to society. Africa is a great example - while in some parts resources like farm land are scarce, gems and minerals are not - however, these resources are not controlled by the people who live in the country, but by outside nations/companies, or cartels. We need to help these people solve their own issues, and I think we will be amazed about how earth was created to sustain us all. Not to say we shouldn't explore the sea and space - but space is more an option for our imaginations, than an immediate need, I believe.

Answer 3

Well yes... overpopulation is in fact of the biggest problems for humanity......
I was then too in the Historic times but then production of food was very low & medical expertise unavailable...
Unfortunately for us these two things which have helped us to progress has also made us under-estimate the problem of OverPouplation.
Many cultures Harappa , Maya , Incas have been hypothesized to been extint due to over population.
& the very same problem is troubling manking yet again...
Something needs to be done to stabilize the population

Answer 4

Nature seems to have a way of dealing with "overpopulation". If you agree with the way Mother Nature is conducting her business, the answer to your question is "no" but if you disagree the answer is "yes", there is a problem with "overpopulation".

Answer 5

No, overpopulation is not a problem. The Malthusian theory of population did project faster growth of population but production of goods and services not commensurate with that growth. So, what we need is systematic exploitation of unlimited resources available to satisfy the needs of the growing population. That apart, the earth has its own mysterious mechanism to ensure a balance, so why we have natural disasters, new diseases and so on which cut short the population from time to time.

Answer 6

Yes, I do believe that overpopulation is not only a current problem, but also a growing one. The cumulative effects of increases in human consumption, use of resources, disposition of waste products, as well as the correlative changes in propensities for crime, lowered health care availability and/or quality, intolerance born of reduced services or supplies... all are factors with which most communities here and abroad must now deal. I like to ponder solutions when asked a question of this magnitude or generality, because I tend to be constructive in style and thought. Education seems crucial, to include documentaries such as Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", if we are to familiarize ourselves with all side-effects of population growth and begin incorporating positive solutions that will help our planet, our nation, our communities, and ourselves as individuals. We must know the ingredients of the recipe if we are to assemble a savory masterpiece, is the metaphor I am fond of using. There is an opportunity here for an implosive type of growth. For example, right after Hurricane Katrina, I was thinking a recycling effort could be launched to work with materials damaged, but not destroyed. The people who survived could be rallied together to begin pulling usable board, window frames, and the like from the rubble, stacking them as would be done in a lumber yard, and turn their focus and energies on rebuilding at least one communal shelter as a base of operations for the rest of the effort to rebuild. The floods of displaced people became "overpopulated" and were viewed as a strain on the economies of the Texas cities who initially welcomed them (which I view as a microcosm example of the premise of this question). Had the Bush administration or its appointees to Homeland "Security" and FEMA been at all competent, choices would have been made prior to or during the storm to contact neighboring states and arrange for apartment rentals with access to public transportation, so the displaced persons could have an actual apartment near possible work, with access to transportation that would enable them to function independently while either working to return and rebuild or settling safely into their new surroundings by being gainfully employed and contributing to the state to which they had moved. I do believe that, as population increases, the focus must be "bi-focal" in nature, turning to the community in order to weave those within the community into a cohesive whole while simultaneously monitoring the impact this community and others like it have on the state and nation as a whole. I have ideas in this regard, but will relegate them to another time and space.

Answer 7

No. As I see it, there is no such thing as overpopulation. Only bad resource management. For example, if we used less space in cities, prefering apartment or condo life to suburbia, for example, we could produce more food on the now unused land. But because people want to live in suburban style residences, they are beginning to choke themselves off from their own food supply. Also, if industry could be more responsible and not dump toxins into wateways, by accident or intent, the water system would be cleaner, and more water would be available for consumption. Also for water, if people used less water on their lawns and for washing and didn't wash their car weekly, more fresh water could be prevented from entering the sewage system. If people could learn to live more conservatively (or more liberally, in a political sense) they could help to seriously stem the problems that will begin to plauge society within the next century.
Oh, and the end of the world, Book of Revelations, wrathful God nonsense is not coming to pass. Ever.

Answer 8

I believe that it is, both from the standpoint of diminishing resources and from the standpoint of decreasing the quality of life for humans and the other species with which we share the earth. Too many people croweded into too little space with too little to eat, too little to do and too few prospects for improvement: a recipe for disaster if there ever was one. Think about the Gaza Strip to get an idea of what may happen if we don't learn to control our population and to take good enough care of the people we do allow to be born.

Answer 9

The only population threat is hyper-reproduction of four billion Third World parasites averaging 6-8+ living kids/family. The First and Second World is nowhere near even replacement reproduction, 2.1 kids/family. Japan is at 1.34 kids/family. Russia's 143 million populaton is declining 700,000/year.

Stop sending charity to a future that will destroy the Earth. Evolution knows what it is doing.

Answer 10

Overpopulation is not the problem, but the lack of education is.- Educate and increase literacy in the world and you will begin to control the global population and at the same time decrease poverty.

Answer 11

A growing problem (excuse the pun)... Another good reference site is http://www.populationconnection.org .

More people will utilize more natural resources. Our natural resources are not infinite. A unique look at this issue is provided by James Howard Kuntsler (http://www.kuntsler.com).

His book, "The Long Emergency," is rather weighty. For an abbreviated version, visit http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7203633/the_long_emergency/ .