Don't Panic: The Truth About Population

[eyeswide]

Did anyone else see this talk by Hans Rosling? Any thoughts?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... opulation/

[RenewableCandy]

The Beeb had an open wotsit about it, where you could send in questions. I sent one saying that all this good news has been happening in times of rising availability of "energy, to do useful work", and what will happen when, "as many people now think", that supply of energy starts to tail off.

I've just had a look at the Q&A and surprise surprise it's not there...

[eyeswide]

Bizarre, isn't it, that he didn't even mention it. I know he's a statistician and as such has to go on the data available... but you'd think the elephant in the room would at least get a quick glance.

[clv101]

It's interesting. It's a fantastic example of data communication to the masses. The presentation was spot on. He also does a good job of debunking the die-hard memes about the world established in the 60s and 70s. It is remarkable how birth rates have fallen - the 'population bomb', due to unsustainable birth rates has been defused. The future growth is mostly the 'demographic lag' as the population pyramid becomes a population rectangle.

However, he doesn't do a good job of addressing the new problems. He's right to point out how many of the old problems have been solved. He's wrong not to address the new problems:
= How do we cope with a couple billion extra over 60 year olds given we're not expecting the younger population to grow significantly?
= If our currently 7bn isn't existing 'sustainably' within the biosphere, how can we expect 11bn to? Those 11bn people, a century from now, will have a greatly degraded ecosystem compared with today's 7bn.
= Most of the growth is projected to occur in Africa - technically I think this is possible, there's enough raw resource (land, sunlight, water etc). Currently, however, the politics and economy does not make this 4x population look likely.
= Finally he doesn't pay enough attention to the potential shocks associated with climate change or resource depletion.

[Ralph]

Did anyone else see this talk by Hans Rosling? Any thoughts?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... opulation/

Saw his presentation live in Washington DC, back in June. He was a keynote speaker at the EIA conference downtown.

Fantastic and wildly entertaining observations on population…and other things.

[Ralph]

= Finally he doesn't pay enough attention to the potential shocks associated with climate change or resource depletion.

or cosmic collisions or alien invasions or continental sized flood basalt flows or nuclear war or bird flu….

Resource depletion and climate change? Both of which have been going on longer than this guy has been alive? Eye on the ball...

[UndercoverElephant]

= Finally he doesn't pay enough attention to the potential shocks associated with climate change or resource depletion.

or cosmic collisions or alien invasions or continental sized flood basalt flows or nuclear war or bird flu….

Resource depletion and climate change? Both of which have been going on longer than this guy has been alive? Eye on the ball...

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with TROL.

[jonny2mad]

overpopulation will sort itself out theres no need to worry about it