One Finite Planet

Topics and Subtopics.
All: Pop. Principles

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

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?

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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?

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Optimum Population Responses: nature’s birth control.

Human birth rates are falling at a rate that has some fearing population collapse, but could this a natural 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 all species not population controlled by predators just multiply like bacteria in petri until dish resources are all consumed, or does nature, and even potentially humans, have other mechanisms to constrain population at a more optimum level? In practice, resource constraint and predation alone as population control 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.

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Population on a Finite World: No Vacancies.

Every niche on Earth where life is possible, is filled by species to maximum capacity. Except for brief periods following Earth changing events, or other change of circumstances, there have been no ‘vacant’ liveable environments on Earth for over 4 billion years. Any increase in population of one species, requires a reduction in population of other species, in a process Darwin declared “survival of the fittest”.

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Pop. Principles

Optimum Population Responses: nature’s birth control.

Optimum Population Responses: nature’s birth control.

Human birth rates are falling at a rate that has some fearing population collapse, but could this a natural 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 all species not population controlled by predators just multiply like bacteria in petri until dish resources are all consumed, or does nature, and even potentially humans, have other mechanisms to constrain population at a more optimum level? In practice, resource constraint and predation alone as population control 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.

Parent / Sub topics
My journey to understanding population.

My journey to understanding population.

Arguably mankind's greatest achievement is not the moon-landing, but the near elimination of child mortality. Side effects include a population explosion resulting in numbers such that we have only pseudo solutions for sustaining the environment. To arrive at my current point of understanding of population mechanisms and population growth, it took me a number of light bulb moments over the years since 2013, with many realisations shattering some of my previous beliefs, and sometimes taking years to be ready to take the next step. Here is a recap of my journey, and if you can move quickly from step to step, then you can absorb information faster than I can, but perhaps this information will inspire others on their own journey.
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Optimum population of humans: Ideally, how many people can, or should, the Earth support?

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

Why Population growth even before the explosion?

Why Population growth even before the explosion?

the surprises hiding in life expectancy numbers.

the surprises hiding in life expectancy numbers.

Population on a Finite World: No Vacancies.

Population on a Finite World: No Vacancies.