At what point in population density does the world loss it's ability to sustain human life?

Question

Can the population growth be extrapolated out to determine when this will occur?

Answer 1

Thanks to pesticides, we have made it possible for the earth support a much large population than it could have if we were solely dependent on sunlight to energize our crops. Technically, the world has already lost it's ability to sustain us. We have found a way to sustain ourselves.

You can extrapolate, but that will be ignorant. There are always unforeseeable events/changes that affect populations. The larger the population, both size and number, the less predictability you can depend on. And with humans, you should be prepared for anything to happen. We have the most power to manipulate our world and we will.

Answer 2

This point of saturation is known as the carrying capacity. We have already reached our limit, however because of modern medicine and technology, this limit has been increased. It was said that an estimated carrying capacity for huans was at a round 4 billion, we are now at 6.5 billion and still going strong....however....poverty is incresing, natural resources are growing scarce, disease is on the increase (bird flu, aids, cancer) these are all linked to high population and close proximity to many other people.

Answer 3

Beetle is right that technology has pushed upt the limit, but it's wrong to say that that diseases and poverty are increasing. He should look to history.

There are many factors involved here, if you mean just to "sustain human life" the number might be quite large (I'd estimate 30B) but it wouldn't be a high quality life...and you'd get wars that bring the numbers down quickly.

Answer 4

you're ommitting the actuality that we produce probable 50% of the international's supplies. If all and sundry interior the international lived like an American (loose, without Communist or Islamic oppression happening,) then a hundred% of the inhabitants may be ingesting a hundred% of its supplies.

Answer 5

I don't remember the source (and wish I did) but supposedly we are already well over that limit. That if for any reason there was a single year of global crop failures, we actually only have enough food to feed the current Earth population for one month. Sounds pretty over the top to me.

Answer 6

you'll know when you cant go 5 steps with out running into another person. that is when the planet has too much people then wars will break out like usual and the population will go back down if not get wipe out.

Answer 7

depends on the lifestyle of the people.

the current industrial growth society global population is dependant on non-renewable resources so is already unsustainable.

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