Surely the basic problem in the world is that there are too many people for sustainability (lights touch paper and runs away). We, the entire world, need to start from here and look at the big picture. An impossible dream when as a country we can't even talk sensibly to our nearest neighbours.Â
Surely the basic problem in the world is that there are too many people for sustainability (lights touch paper and runs away). We, the entire world, need to start from here and look at the big picture. An impossible dream when as a country we can't even talk sensibly to our nearest neighbours.Â
@Suesyn you can't talk about the world being over populated.... you'll get called something horrible with 'right-wing' in the name.
In the 70s we were told the world was over populating and that we should only reproduce ourselves. Having more than 2 children was frowned upon.Â
I agree though, the world can't go on over populating. Maybe we should shove our old people out of the door and let the polar bears take them, only problem is we don't have enough polar bears
Aye well, they're starting to do that now in a different way Jenny_Aster. I rang the breast screening dept for this area yesterday as I was sure it's this year for my mammogram and was told they aren't doing screening for over 70's at the moment due to the backlog from Covid. That's fair enough I suppose but I didn't think until after the conversation that I should have asked if the mobile van that comes to this area are working weekends and if not then why not? Just think how much it will cost the NHS for extensive treatment if several breast cancers aren't diagnosed early enough.Â
In the 70s we were told the world was over populating and that we should only reproduce ourselves. Having more than 2 children was frowned upon.
Technically the UK birth rates have steadily dropped since then. I still know far too many people with three or more kids but the average is about 1.7 now I think. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53409521
Life expectancy has risen quite a lot though which makes population increases look more pronounced.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
The worldâs population will peak, if I have remembered this correctly and if forecasts are correct, at around 11 billion in around 80 yearsâ time. The rate at which it is increasing is now slowing quite significantly and several countries - China, Poland, S Korea, Italy and lots more - face the considerable challenge of massive population reductions in the next 50 years. There will be significant population shortages to be filled by an African diaspora.Â
The UKâs population will stabilise at just over 70 million.
If everybody went vegetarian/vegan where would we grow all the food required? Much of the land used, particularly for sheep farming, isn't suitable for agriculture. Soya and other plant based 'milk' will require more land too. Vegetarians/vegans responsible for deforestation?
@Jenny_Aster I know that its not a easy discussion but we can't ignore the elephant in the room because it's a difficult thing to talk about. I'm not suggesting that there should be a limit to family size but if over population is seen as a contribution to climate change perhaps by discussing it it would become more socially unacceptable to have a large family. I know that governments don't want their populations to decrease for economic reasons but short term thinking is a major part of the problem as I see it. Personally I know a few older people, myself included, who say they would rather be dead than go into a nursing home. Perhaps that's where the discussion should start.Â
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We, the entire world, need to start from here and look at the big picture.
An impossible dream when as a country we can't even talk sensibly to our nearest neighbours.Â
In the 70s we were told the world was over populating and that we should only reproduce ourselves. Having more than 2 children was frowned upon.Â
I agree though, the world can't go on over populating. Maybe we should shove our old people out of the door and let the polar bears take them, only problem is we don't have enough polar bears
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
Just think how much it will cost the NHS for extensive treatment if several breast cancers aren't diagnosed early enough.Â
I'm not suggesting that there should be a limit to family size but if over population is seen as a contribution to climate change perhaps by discussing it it would become more socially unacceptable to have a large family.Â
I know that governments don't want their populations to decrease for economic reasons but short term thinking is a major part of the problem as I see it.Â
Personally I know a few older people, myself included, who say they would rather be dead than go into a nursing home.Â
Perhaps that's where the discussion should start.Â