You Sir are a Malthusian dilemma, the population control ghost of Xmas past

Thomas Malthus, two centuries ago argued that human populations grew exponentially-- He contended that food resources could only increase arithmetically . He believed that, at these differing rates of growth, a population would eventually outstrip its supply of food. At that point, positive checks on population growth--famine, disease, and war--would come into play. His ideas have been tweeked to accomodate technology, because technology allowed food supply to keep up with world population growth

You might ask, why are you bringing up this old ghost?

Well, his ideas shaped the minds of many in population planning. Whether people realized it or not, Americans have followed his solutions(at least what I conclude his solutions would be). Solutions like encouraging people to adopt low birthrate lifestyles, moving from fruitful lands to deserts...etc. Those were the solutions when you expected abundance, and just the reverse when you expected shortage. IMO- The American migration to the sunbelt fulfilled that during our years of abundance, but Michigans recent move towards Right to Work on the heels of Wisconsins move indicates that this trend might reverse. I wont call this a 'conspiracy' but rather a collective unconscious that is reversing these Malthsian solutions that dominated US social life for the last 60 yrs. Anyways, I wonder if our decades of abundance are about to turn

Alternative free energy for the globe? = RIP Tesla

Proper distribution of resources? = RIP Vertical farming

Massively integrated spending to war & poisons for the masses = Alive and well.

Failure to acknowledge we have the capability to redesign civilization to fit double the current population on Earth = Priceless

reply to post by ThinkingCap


On a worldwide basis, the elite are buying up farmland at a record pace

www.businessinsider.com...

Malthus merely tried to point out that which had been going on with the human condition since we were in caves.

I don't see doom and gloom with population growth rather, I see the necessities that it causes. Necessity being the mother of invention... ergo we have all of these wonderful things that in enrich our lives.

Additionally, I have seen studies that suggest that farmers could double the output of their current crops on the same same acreages used today. Nothing to worry about folks, we'll be just fine.

Thomas Malthus's ideas didn't make sense in the 1600's much less today.

Guy was just totally off base.

Originally posted by solidguy
Thomas Malthus's ideas didn't make sense in the 1600's much less today.

Guy was just totally off base.

He was required reading at my 4 yr college, and continues to shape the views of our youth today. His writings greatly influence social ecology in India & elsewhere in the 3rd world