One Finite Planet

One Finite Planet

Topics and Subtopics.
All: Population

Population: Our greatest achievement may cause our demise.

Arguably mankind’s greatest achievement, the near eradication of infant mortality, has resulted in a population explosion resulting in overpopulation that we prefer not to mention, even though it may yet kill us. Technically we would not die from overpopulation itself, just as people don’t really die from “old age”, and the real risk is that an already present threat will be exacerbated and become fatal because through our greed we ignore overpopulation.

Unlike old age, the overpopulation risk factor could be avoided or reversed, we may be influenced by economists dependant on Ponzi schemes, the worlds’ largest corporations and billionaires who thrive off the resultant increases in inequality into believing that living conditions required by ever increasing population levels benefit everyone and not just those living in mansions.

Read More »

Ideal population of humans: How many people can, or should, each country, and the whole planet support?

It seems like the human population has forever been growing, but any analysis makes it clear growth must stop eventually at some level. The question becomes at what level should growth stop?

Do we go for the maximum possible people just before everything collapses, even if average living standards could be far better with a smaller population? With caged hens being farmed for eggs people advocate for a lower free-range population instead of denser living caged hens as it provides a better existence, but does anyone advocate against multinationals and politicians pushing for denser and denser housing for humans in order to allow bigger populations of humans for them to farm?

It seems to be accepted that global population growth should stop but claimed that countries who end population growth face economic disaster.

Read More »

Why Population growth even before the explosion?

Throughout history, although no other species on Earth has experienced such long term overall population growth, even before the recent population explosion, the human population kept slowly growing.

Yes, we recently had an unprecedented population explosion, driven by is hidden by by the near elimination of previously tragic infant mortality, but against the background of long term growth, many of us never didn’t even realise their was an explosion.

But what drove population growth even before the explosion? What will now happen as the explosion ends?

Read More »

Ghost cities and ghost homes: housing finance crisis?

Anyone who believes in indefinite growth in anything physical, on a physically finite planet, is either mad or an economist.”

Attributed to Kenneth Boulding in: United States. Congress. House (1973) 

This applies to not just to population growth, but just maybe also to the growth in value of housing.

This page is a look at ‘ghost cities’ and ‘ghost homes’, and the window they provide into how distorted investment can become in the pursuit of growth.

The end result of the distortions can be overvalued assets funded by highly leveraged ordinary citizens. If that is the case, not just with ghost cities but beyond, the correction will clearly present a financial crisis.

Read More »

Population Growth Advocacy: Mislead Immigration Support, or Greed & Tribalism?

In Australia, as in many countries, there appears to be almost universal acceptance of perpetual population growth. Population growth is seen as:

  1. Desirable because it is the path to economic prosperity.
  2. Inevitable.
  3. A requirement for supporting refugees.

None reflect reality. So why is it, that so few contemplate a finite population target, given we live on a finite planet?

Read More »

Why wait? We should end population growth NOW!

I have been asked on a few occasions, why not end population growth now? It is not like we need to get more people before population growth should stop! Japan has stopped population growth, why not the rest of us? What are we waiting for?

Read More »

Peak Population: We May Never Return.

For the environment, our peak population will be a nightmare. This page explores alternatives for the future of population, and the possibility that the current peak population will be the last time there are ever this many humans on Earth.

Read More »

Population

Population: Our greatest achievement may cause our demise.

Population: Our greatest achievement may cause our demise.

Arguably mankind's greatest achievement, the near eradication of infant mortality, has resulted in a population explosion resulting in overpopulation that we prefer not to mention, even though it may yet kill us. Technically we would not die from overpopulation itself, just as people don't really die from "old age", and the real risk is that an already present threat will be exacerbated and become fatal because through our greed we ignore overpopulation.

Unlike old age, the overpopulation risk factor could be avoided or reversed, we may be influenced by economists dependant on Ponzi schemes, the worlds' largest corporations and billionaires who thrive off the resultant increases in inequality into believing that living conditions required by ever increasing population levels benefit everyone and not just those living in mansions.

Parent / Sub topics
Optimum Population Instinct: nature’s birth control.

Optimum Population Instinct: nature’s birth control.

Human birth rates are falling at a rate that has some fearing population collapse, but could this be a natural instinctive biological repose to threats of overpopulation, rather than any cause for alarm? This raises the question as to what controls population in other species and, why is overpopulation rare? Would any species just multiply like bacteria in petri dish whenever possible until resources and the ecosystem collapses? Or do species, and even potentially humans, have instinctive mechanisms to constrain population at a more optimum level for long term survival? In practice, resource constraint and predation alone as population controls would for many species would result in repeated huge population swings, so logically, there must be more. Analysing population mechanisms in other species may provide some interesting insights and possible answers to at least a large part of what is happing with birth-rates that will determine whether our future is population is one of: continued growth, collapse, or stability, on a planet where population of all life is not growing.
Population Growth Advocacy: Mislead Immigration Support, or Greed & Tribalism?

Population Growth Advocacy: Mislead Immigration Support, or Greed & Tribalism?

In Australia, as in many countries, there appears to be almost universal acceptance of perpetual population growth. Population growth is seen as: Desirable because it is the path to economic prosperity. Inevitable. A requirement for supporting refugees. None reflect reality. So why is it, that so few contemplate a finite population target, given we live on a finite planet?
Population Explosion: What happened to get to 8 Billion people?

Population Explosion: What happened to get to 8 Billion people?

Humanity has just experienced a population explosion. Whether you believe we are overpopulated or not, the facts are that we have just had a population explosion. Over two centuries of population peaking at 50x higher than the long term population growth, and peaking at 100x higher during the baby boom. Yet the explosion occurred with women having less babies than ever before, even during the baby boom, and is ending all by itself. So what caused the boom, why a population explosion when birth rates are falling? Will our population grow until we are living life like battery hens?
Overpopulation: starvation is not the symptom.

Overpopulation: starvation is not the symptom.

The Myth: We are not starving yet means we aren't overpopulated. The Truth: Overpopulation is defined as when population reaches a level resulting in damaging to the environment and is unsustainable. Starvation only happens if overpopulation continues until a final catastrophic environmental collapse and is no more a symptom of overpopulation than death is a symptom of disease. Unsustainability is a symptom. Consider grazing animal on a farm. Overpopulation means unattainability and the animals eat grass faster than it grows, starvation when there is no grass left. We are not yet starving, but unsustainability means we are overpopulated, and progressively, all but perhaps the richest 1% must suffer if we fail to constrain population.
Webpapers
Population on a Finite World: No Vacancy.

Population on a Finite World: No Vacancy.

Paradox Resolved: Educating women didn’t end the Population Explosion.

Paradox Resolved: Educating women didn’t end the Population Explosion.

Ideal population of humans: How many people can, or should, each country, and the whole planet support?

Ideal population of humans: How many people can, or should, each country, and the whole planet support?

Why wait? We should end population growth NOW!

Why wait? We should end population growth NOW!

Peak Child: When, and what does it mean?

Peak Child: When, and what does it mean?

Why Population growth even before the explosion?

Why Population growth even before the explosion?

Next steps for mankind don’t include the Sci-Fi dream of a new home planet.

Next steps for mankind don’t include the Sci-Fi dream of a new home planet.

The Population Growth Economy Ponzi schemes.

The Population Growth Economy Ponzi schemes.

Ghost cities and ghost homes: housing finance crisis?

Ghost cities and ghost homes: housing finance crisis?

the surprises hiding in life expectancy numbers.

the surprises hiding in life expectancy numbers.

Peak Population 2055: Really? That soon?

The Potential Scale and Impact of population growth: 7 trillion humans?

The G20 outcome, a plan to make the earth a worse place?

The Housing Price Trap: A global bubble?

Brexit and Trump: Common Theme?

Peak Population: We May Never Return.

Peak Population: We May Never Return.

Economic Cost Of Peak Population: Market Crash in Japan, China, The World.

Births Per Woman: Not quite what you would expect.

Births Per Woman: Not quite what you would expect.

Overpopulation solutions? See it as a ratio, not a number.

Overpopulation solutions? See it as a ratio, not a number.

Jobs in the ‘ECO’ age part1: outsourced & offshored?

Industrial/Growth Age vs Information/Eco Age

The population ‘catch 22’

Population: Brace, the slow down has started!

China Population Surprise: Peak Population in 2022.

China Population Surprise: Peak Population in 2022.

A long journey to an understanding of population.

A long journey to an understanding of population.

If the earth is overpopulated, so what?

If the earth is overpopulated, so what?

How long can/should/will population growth continue?

the economic impact of population growth and immigration

Population Growth Change Lag: The Population Pipeline

Population Growth Change Lag: The Population Pipeline

Environmental Damage: The Overpopulation Indicator

Environmental Damage: The Overpopulation Indicator

Monopolies: A global trend?

Immigration: A Political Confidence Trick

Lessons from SciFi: Future Expansion

Environmental footprint and maximum population.

Population: just how did the ‘engine’ switch off

Ageing population: a problem, or myth with an agenda?

Ageing population: a problem, or myth with an agenda?

Population: Why more than the current change is required.

The population lag: the first reason for the contradiction.

Views of Future Population.