Is overpopulation a public issue?

Question

What is your view on overpopulation in the US and the world?

Answer 1

I don't think it's a good thing. Part of it is the human need to keep each other alive(we're all pretty much scared of death and we don't want anyone to die)...So we keep people alive who would've otherwise died if we still went by the rules of natural selection(retarded people, physically disabled people, etc. Not that they'd all die. Some of the clever ones would survive but most would die somehow)
I'm not saying we should kill these people, but I am worried for the future when our planet gets to crowded. Will people try to make cities on top the water? Under it? That will ruin the ecosystems very badly if not done sparingly. It'll be years and years before we can migrate to other planets and have sustainable life there.

Answer 2

Actually overpopulation has become something of a dead issue to those who are focused on the international political arena. Reality is, with the current retiring generation being the largest of all generations presently alive, the problem facing the U.N. (and particularly the West) is the underpopulation problem. By 2050 there is set to be an underpopulation problem which will disproportionately affect developed countries over underdeveloped. The richer the country the less likely they will be inclined to take on additional responsibilities by having kids, which affects their discretionary spending. So it really isn't a problem, unless you're a quack like Ted Turner. On a side note, if you took everyone in the world and gave them an 1800 square foot apartment (to include each child getting their own apartment) you could fit everyone in the world within the Grand Canyon, with room to spare. So, how crowded are we? Especially since our food production can easily accommodate the volume of people. Truth be told, the U.S. bread basket is more than efficient enough to supply the world's needs for food. So it isn't an issue at the present time of overcrowding, its about government's holding people hostage by withholding food and water.

Answer 3

Some places have year round schooling. I am not sure how it works but I think they go like 6 weeks on and two weeks off, and they don't get much of a summer vacation. The bummer with this is that some families have some kids going on one schedule and the other kids in the family on the opposite schedule. Some places are considering night time school, I think that would be too hard though. Some places are wanting longer days, and have a three day weekend to save on utilities and salaries. One school district I worked in had 900 families, but only 300 of those families made enough income to pay some taxes. It is just hard and there is no magic wand to fix things. I would look into year round schooling as the easiest fix.

Answer 4

I think overpopulation is a public issue. Privately, you can't make much of a dent in the overpopulation problem. I don't think overpopulation is a problem in the US since we have lots of open, sparsely populated spaces.

My old roommate and I used to debate on the solution to the overpopulation problem. He's originally from India, where overpopulation is more evident. My solution is to invest in the space program, start colonizing space, and move the bulk of the population off-planet. His solution is to enforce breeding licenses. If you gave birth without a license, the doctor is obligated to euthanize your kid. He wasn't a big believer in morality.

Answer 5

Yes, it is a problem. In the US, crowds of strangers make us nuts. All we want to do is go home to the refuge of our own family, who we actually enjoy. So that's why everyone is still having kids even though we are LONG past the number needed to adequately populate our nation. (not to mention the immegrants and illegals).
THEN, because we are all having babies so we can be around people we actually like, we have too many kids and not enough public health programs to help them. Now some people give their kids vitamin C and plenty of sleep and no sugar foods. But the majority live on cocoa puffs, 20 minute naps and fast food everything. They have to go to the doctor routinely b/c they aren't healthy. They go to school and get people in their class ill, who in turn go to their doctor. It all costs money and we're all payin for it. If healthcare becomes social, that will really suck for middle class people who are proactive in their own health. They pay the most taxes and go to the doctor less than the pharmaceitical junkies.
It is a vicious cycle.

Answer 6

The UK should house around 40,000,000 people in order to sustain everyone in the natural sense. By 2051 it has now been estimated (by the national statistics bureau) that we will have 75,000,000 people of which 30% will be non white!! Add to that the fact that Pakistani (mainly muslim) breed 5 kids to the Brits 1.6 and you have a problem!!
Overpopulation SHOULD be a public issue!

Edit: Our government are forcing us all to change our lightbulbs because of global warming, yet they are doing nothing about immigration and the need to build more homes, schools, health centres, hospitals et al!!! Global warming is just a way to extort money from the tax payer!!!

Answer 7

It is a very public issue.

I pay property taxes that help finance public schools. I have two or fewer children.

My neighbor down the street lives in a house of the same size but has four children.

Guess what? I'm subsidizing the education of my neighbor's kids.

Guess what else? I'm subsidizing everything that my taxes pay for for my neighbor's kids.

In short, all else held constant, if everyone had two or fewer kids, the earth would be cleaner and life less expensive.

Answer 8

Yes, it is a public issue. For those who say that God will tell us when enough is enough, I say, "Listen: He is telling you." For those who say it is a "private issue", I say when what you do affects the entire world, it is a public issue.

No matter what ills you consider, rampant crime (including ID theft), wars, pestilences, diseases, starvation, water shortage (as in Georgia right now), etc., it all comes back to overpopulation.

Scientists estimate that, without chemicals (fertilyzers, pesticides, insecticides, etc.) the world can support about 1 billion people.

Estimates are that there are at least 6.7 billion persons alive on planet earth.

Ergo, 5.7 billion will be forced to die when GLOBAL WARMING demands it.

Read Revelations.

Answer 9

You can stand all the people in the world, shoulder to shoulder, on the Isle of White; it's just 12 miles long and about 8 miles wide.... Makes you think, dunnit.

Answer 10

The world is already disastrously overpopulated if we do not make serious changes.