Overpopulation - Problem or not?

[Aroura]

Yes, overpopulation is already a problem. We are already IN an extinction event mostly caused by us. People who are still having 18 kids baffle me. I had one kid and my tubes tied the same day she was born. I think we are likely to cause our own extinction (and that of millions of other species) if population control laws aren't put into effect right now. Which basically means we are screwed.

[ignoramus]

Yes, overpopulation is already a problem. We are already IN an extinction event mostly caused by us. People who are still having 18 kids baffle me. I had one kid and my tubes tied the same day she was born. I think we are likely to cause our own extinction (and that of millions of other species) if population control laws aren't put into effect right now. Which basically means we are screwed.

Doing what you have done will also cause extinction but for the opposite reason.
2 adults = 1 offspring.
You're lucky the muzzo's have got your back! Hehe

[Ravenshire]

I wonder if the running out of oil and huge overpopulation might clash around the same time. I imagine the world could suddenly get pretty dramatic with 10+ billion people and no resources.

I think we'll run out of clean water before we run out of oil.

[Minimalist]

We'll need the oil to fight over the water.

[The Grand Nudger]

We've faced a population and energy crisis before? On the same scale as what faces us now? When?

What scale? I think you'd have to judge any crisis on the relative and not raw numbers - with regards to our history. There are more of us here now. Once you have an energy crisis, population becomes an issue - if it wasn't already. It's difficult to imagine what an energy crisis might look like if we imagine that it's somehow a separate issue than the number of consumers and their rates of consumption vs what's available. I'm trying to find you a nice book on this that isn't all deleted out in search of commercial opportunity. To get you started, here's something by a man named Paolo Malanima

The energy system of the ancient Mediterranean civilisations was the same
as that of all agrarian societies between the 5th millennium B.C. and the 19th

century, and the level of per head consumption of energy was the same too.
This system was based on food, firewood, and fodder for working animals.
Despite the increase in useful knowledge and the extensive development of
the agrarian energy basis, supported by a favourable climatic phase, this
system was finally unable to support the increasing population. Per capita
availability of energy began to diminish. An unfavourable climatic phase, from
the 2nd century A.D., contributed to this decline.

http://www.paolomalanima.it/default_file...ONMENT.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Malanima

Take special notice here, the author presents a best case scenario. New inventions, extensive development of energy infrastructure, all in a favorable climatic phase (very important to their energy base, obviously). They had it all - and yet....