What do you think the optimal global population should be?

Question

We are at 6.5 billions right now.

Answer 1

Well considering if you put every man women and child on earth in the state of Texas, they would only be as crowded as someone living in Manhattan then I say....umm....about 10.5 Billion more.

Answer 2

I agree with cyberbrat there is no perfect answer to this question because there one thing that is not known the change that will occur tomorrow. You are right to ask that question because it is known that the globe has limited resources and it could happen that the population increase could surpass these resources. It could happen that the huge increase in population could surpass the increase in food production and that would lead into huge starvation and misery. An English philosopher called Parson Malthus wrote in his essay "The Principle of Population as it Affects the Future Improvement of Society" that "the human species would increase in the ratio of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128.... while subsistence or in simple words food production would increase in the ratio of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, ....... etc. So with this theory he predicted a dooms day at some point where population has surpassed food production. But his theory is still yet to come true because Malthus forgot to mention one thing very important to our human survival that pushes the doomsday further and further. That thing which Malthus assumed is constant is technological advancement. That thing cannot be measured and that thing will allow humanity to survive even with bigger increase in population. If you look at United States there is only less then 2 % of population (and is decreasing) that is in the business of agriculture and food production. The technology is increasing everyday and there is genetic production as well that helps for better yields. So in conclusion as long as increase in technology surpasses increase in population and does not allow the food production curve to come at doomsday point the earth will carry more and more people. Who knows maybe we will live under the sea if technology allows it since space is running out.

Answer 3

Optimal for WHAT? Human happiness does not depend on population. The pressure on the environment has more to do with technology than it does with population (just compare the ocean pollution around New York, Rotterdam, Mumbai, and Karachi). Carbon emissions are also tied to population in a very indirect way (the population important to carbon emissions is that of automobiles, not of people, and even that needs to be adjusted by fuel economy)...

Answer 4

In 1825 it was 1 billion. In 1925 it was 2 billion.. 1975 4billion and now its 5.6.. By 2050 it will be between 11 and 13 billion.

I would say 2 billion is about right.

Answer 5

Somewhere closer to 4 billion would be better. But, at the rate population is growing...we'll be at 12 billion in just a few years.

Answer 6

Around 2 billion.

Answer 7

I think there are many answers to your question but mine is:

As long as love is penetrable to everyone, mother Earth can fit as many as humans want.

As long as we care and share our resources, there is enough for all.

When population grows, we forget about our neighbors. We go to the moon but can't say hi to our friends across the street.

We can become selfish and take as many resources for ourselves and build a big house but our homes are broken from the inside.

So to your question, I would like to bring a very simple answer. That is: Love will cure all our problems in a split second.

Answer 8

As many as God wants there to be.

This world can support a population much larger than we have now. The main problem is resource allocation, not lack of resources. Anyone who tells you differently is trying to sell you something.

May God bless and keep you.

Answer 9

I think we're at it right now. We just need to be a lot less harsh on nature and maybe balance out the geographical balance a bit.

Answer 10

I don't think that's a set answer because the globe is constantly changing what might have been good 20 million years ago is not good now.....