Howdie Pezz,
I guess one's view of the world's population has much to do with whether one is fundamentally a pessimist or an optimist. I would place myself in the optimist camp, with some caveats. I believe that with proper urban planning (i.e. construction of public transportation conduits vs. highways) and investments in renewable energy conduits such as solar, wind, and even some forms of hydroelectric power, the burgeoning populations of certain countries can be absorbed. I look at a country like Japan, which has a population density equal to if not greater in some instances as China, and which has managed to avoid the dire apocalyptic predictions of the neo-Malthusians. The Rhine River region encompassing Germany, Holland and Belgium has to be one of the most densely populated areas of the world. Thanks to a brilliant intermodal public transporation system, an educated populace that's fixated on personal apsirations rather than mere reproduction, the area not only has a sustainable population level but is beginning to heal from centuries of ecological destruction. Europe, Japan, and the United States demonstrate that when a population prospers and educates itself, they opt for forms of fulfillment other than having large families. That means if a country is to achieve a manageable rate of population growth, its government has to invest its resources in public education rather than, say, large-scale military infrastructure.
With regard to China, if it decides to create a massive energy infrastructure based on non-renewable fossil fuel resources and spend its money maintaining a huge military rather than boosting the living standards of its inland peasants, it will foul up the Earth's atmosphere and encourage large families necessary for agricultural work (unless it pursues draconian human-rights violations such as forced sterlization).
That is not a path it has to take, however. If they opt for a course that would eventually rely on renewable energy resources and educate and train the large peasant population, it may well avoid pre-industrial society catastrophes such as famine and plague.
And, Pezz, why not imagine colonizing the solar system or beyond? A company called SpaceDev (listed on Nasdaq) has already begun gathering venture capital money for what could turn out to be the profitable exploration of space. We should dare to dream. If humanity sets its sights low, it will achieve only lowly goals. :-) |
