Population and the Economy

Optimum population of humans: Ideally, how many people can, or should, the Earth support?

April 11, 2023 July 23, 2023

It can seem like the human population can grow forever, but analysis makes it clear growth must stop eventually. The question becomes at what level should it stop?

Do we go for the maximum possible people before everything collapses, even if average living standards could be far better with a smaller population? Is it like a chicken farm in an egg farm, where having less chickens is seen as preferable if it means chickens get better living conditions? What population strikes the right balance for humans?

Ghost cities and ghost homes: housing finance crisis?

June 15, 2022 June 22, 2022

“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.

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

December 9, 2021 March 20, 2023

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?

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

January 16, 2017 January 16, 2017

Have you heard of the ‘ageing population problem’? Why is it a problem that people living longer?

Or is the problem that population the population explosion is ending?

Or maybe, declaring there is an ‘ageing population problem’ has become a convenient excuse for governments with unbalanced budgets, and big business and the usual candidates pushing a population growth agenda?

This page looks at the real issues underpinning an ‘ageing population’. The reality is: an ageing population itself is not a real problem.

The Population Growth Economy Ponzi schemes.

February 24, 2015 July 1, 2022

When it dawned on me that global economy is effectively a Ponzi scheme, it felt was a ‘light bulb’ moment’. But has anyone else seen this? I did an internet search and was not surprised to find that it has, indeed, dawned on many others as well.

If you do a search, as I did, you will find many insights into this topic and that there are several different ways the global economy can be seen as a Ponzi scheme. Scary!