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[fla_freethinker]

Humanity controls so much and because of this I believe we loose some of our humility. We take nature for granted and believe we as a species can do whatever we want with little repercussions. Science has virtually eliminated population control (disease, high infant mortality) and now our planet is reaching epic population levels of which it may

Comments

[satellitewish]

We're going to find out the hard way in the next 20-50 years when global warming really takes its toll on us. And by us I mean humanity, not me and you. People like us in the western world will learn to adapt and be just fine. Its the rest of the world that will be fucked.

Nature always gets her revenge in the end.

Having said that, I'm also a firm believer in the idea that life survives. Not only survives, but flourishes, anywhere it can, despite the odds or the environment. Everywhere we look where there's a possibility of life, we've found it so far.

[fla_freethinker]

Yes, life might exist, but I do believe that much of humanities population will have to be wiped out in order for that to be the case. I don't know if us in the western world will adapt and be just fine, I wish I knew more to argue about that though. Much of overpopulation comes from the third world countries. I will that mandatory contraceptive use was somehow in place as these people are creating far too many babies for them to raise.

It's unfortunate that we have to bear the brunt of global warming.

Nature always wins. I assume you have seen Pearl Jam's video "Do the Evolution"? Brilliant.

[satellitewish]

Its not so much that I think global warming won't effect us westerners, more like we'll be effected the least. As the weather continues to get more chaotic and the oceans rise, western countries will have the money and technology to offset problems easier. Just take a look at the 2004 tsunami. About 1.5 million people were effected and of that about 300,000 died. Now imagine the problems that will happen when not 1.5 million people are effected, but 800 million or whatever it is that lives on the coast. We in the US, when the oceans rise and Florida becomes an underwater sanctuary, we can pack up our things and move to Kansas. The millions of people in Africa and Asia don't have that luxury

[fla_freethinker]

There still will be chaos when people move in the US. People claim to be charitable, but I feel that people will still not allow others into their territory and martial law will be in place and people won't know what to do under chaos ect ect.

I'm not sure we have the resources to support double the population. I'm not too versed in that, I wished I did so I could have a solid argument here. :)

[cp]

I certainly agree as well that humanity is going to be its own ultimate destruction. We are indeed one of the few species that destroys its own habitat, something that's been encouraged for centuries by the Christian notion that man was granted purview and dominion over the Earth by God. Technology has simply enabled us to destroy more and more at greater and greater rates. And by staving off natural death rates, as you said, we're increasing the population while also (in the civilized world, anyway) increasing the demands per person on the Earth's resources. It can't continue.

But I read a saying once that has stuck with me: Nature is a coyote. Nature won't be fooled, won't be subdued, and certainly in the end Nature will still be around long after mankind has destroyed themselves or made the world unsuitable for ourselves. Armageddon will be a strictly human thing--it won't come in the form of the destruction of the Earth, but in the destruction of mankind, and the Earth will happily continue without us and our destructive

[fla_freethinker]

I have believed since middle school, and still believe, that the worst problem of humanity is overpopulation. Human nature is very hard to change and there will always be greed, lust for power, waste, ect. When this is on a large, global scale fueled by technology is when the huge, irreversible problems arise.

Yeah, I believe the earth will survive. I don't doubt that. I believe George Carlin put it best, "The earth isn't going anywhere. WE ARE!"

Sure

[doubtofbuddha]

I am probably not as well-versed as you are on this particular subject, but I have no problem playing devil's advocate

Re: Sure

[fla_freethinker]

While it is true that birthrates are going down, there aren't enough people dieing. It used to be people who lived past 40 were rich or lucky, now many people in developing countries expect to live far beyond that number. It may be that the actual number of people on this planet is so high now that it might be a little hard to get down to reasonable levels.

Re: Sure

[doubtofbuddha]

Yeah. I am not saying things are fine and dandy from a population perspective. I am just saying that its not reached the point where we have to start feeling panic. Yet. Hopefully the current trend continues and we can reach a relatively stable point...

Re: Sure

[fla_freethinker]

Let's hope.

[fla_freethinker]

First paragraph:

Yeah, that might be true. Many other species lasted far longer than us so it might be the case. We might not survive in the manner we do now. We might go backward, but maybe that is something that can't be changed now(?) Who knows.

Yeah, we might become totally different beings after a collapse like that. Communal, tribal ect. Less globalization.

3rd paragraph-
Yeah, you're right about that.

Oh, I dig the pagoda.

[fla_freethinker]

Oh, btw, good response.