The world is becoming overpopulated. How would you fix it?

Small scale wars or new plagues that kill many people .For example something like the 1900's flu or some new fangled pathgen made in a lab etc. Or pray that something supernatural happens and things are instantly fixed..IDK

The late economist John Malthus had a similar concern. He was afraid that population growth rate will exceed that of growth in food production, leading to a subsistence level of living standards. Malthus himself reasoned that through embracing singlehood and abandoning marriage, one can avoid that problem. Thankfully we have not experienced such a scenario. Overpopulation is dependent on the total fertility rate and survival rate. Demographics and political systems do affect population growth too. We should determine these variables first before we even decide if overpopulation is a problem.

If we look at the World Bank's data, we see that there is only a 1.2% increase in world population. Clearly, we are not growing at an unsustainable pace. Hypothetically-speaking, if the world is indeed becoming overpopulated, current scientific research points towards habitation at other planets similar to Earth(hence our observation of Mars and so on).

World Bank data: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW

Here's my thought before I leave:

There's nothing anybody can do to fix it short of mass murder, or waiting for multiple generations to die off. Also, OP's red text is obnoxious.

Colonize other planets in the solar system. Why randomly kill off humans when you can just increase the amount of living space? Rather than pouring cash into engineering the virus or whatever, make space colonization a goal of humanity.

You mean the gene modified crops?

Yes. Since we dont have many choices to begin with.

Energy will be the issue as well.

I forgot which book it was, but I remember some dystopian novel flirting with the idea of promoting homosexuality in order to curb overpopulation. Personally I simply advocate family planning, though colonising planets sounds pretty fun ;D

Zeream we have enough recourses but too much "need" America's calorie count over 2000 a day would most likely feed a country for months but we still eat don't we...

I think all parents from when the law is passed on can birth no more then 2 children previously born ones may live though.

Carpet bomb a couple a major cities around the world.

For overpopulation, there will always be lack of food supply. So, I was thinking how about we make a community farm, where the poor and homeless can live in and farm for food for themselves. The rest will be sold to local market and the money will be distribute to everyone.

My solution, kill all the gringos and european corrupted autorities. Simple and extremly usefull.

Reading this topic remind me of this video.



Honestly, I don't believe the world is overpopulating and even if it is, we do have some solution for United Nation bullshit. Like China, we can have only one kid per family. I don't believe extermination for the sake of others and our planet is optional, we don't wanna start another World War.

Btw, here an interesting link.

Which number are you in the 7 billion?

Honestly, I think education may be best. Condoms and the pill have lowered the birth rate by quite a bit and we do have an aging population. The best solution I think of is to scare everyone into thinking everyone else has AIDs and diseases and such. Limiting children in a family might help. The elderly over 85 years of age receive less medical aid. That sort of thing. No need for mass murder and that.

Well, that was a lot to read. I suppose it was stupid of me to think this would stay serious past page seven. Ah well.

A number of points were brought up as possible sollutions.

1. Very common idea and very attractive: colonizating other planets -such as Mars- or building space stations. Firstly to colonize a planet -lets say Mars- you need to terraphorm it. Which means you have to try to force Mars' atmosphere to be similar to Earth's. It will also make the land fertile and water more available. That's an incredibly long process that would trillions and probably more in any currency. The way things are, it looks like a day dream.

Space stations? Less atractive withh a lot more risk and not as many places to put people. Also costs a lot of money.

2. similar but less popular: underrwater civilization. That won't happen. Well I doubt it. As someone pointed out, a lot of metal at the bottom of the sea does end in a lot of rust. OP, you said a space station was risky, same thing goes here. A tunnel collapses due to pressure, half the place is fucked. If you wanted to kill a bunch of people to solve over population (I'll go back to that point later) this would be a nice way of doing it. Apart from the cost.

3. Education: "Let's eduacate people on how to use a condom!" "If we teach people about use of proper protection, there won't such a problem." All I really got from the education idea people kept putting forward. It's been done. It didn't work. Mainly due to outside influences and my horny generation. Remember Catholisism...Yeah...Catholisism bans the use of protection quite effectivly. "Wear it and you're going to hell. Gratz on your ninth kid btw". Those reasons and because people are too stupid or lazy to wear a condom.

We're getting in to morals here.

4. War: are you serious? Yeah, killing off a countrry would dent our population. It would also cause another country to die, and then another, then another. Nuclear war. We've already done a lot to the planet (Yes 42, we have) that's a bit much. Also the idea of goading China and India to destroy each other was amussing but has the same end. So, war won't work.

Controlled famine: Country- "You're bullying our friend give them food or we'll fuck you up". Either that or the ally country will help them with there food. It won't work.

Birth controll: the most efficient method in my opinion. Two children per family. If shit gets worse, reduce rule to one child per family. India really should do this. But remember, China has had this rule for while now and they still play a massive part in overpopulation.

Whew, typing on xbox is a bitch. But that's my answer. Birth control.

One of the best solutions is informing the public and teaching the young proper education about sex and where such actions lead to, and also explaining what they might get themselves into if they have no proper help beforehand.

I personally think the politics need to inform their citizens about this case, so far they have been using harsh methods like deporting non-citizens back into their country, even though that is not a better solution, since many countries wish to maintain their own status instead of helping each other.

I can't force my fix on them, would only cause an uproar, so informing them and educating them properly on this matter is the best solution.

Just something from an activist group I go to.

It's a simple question really, why do you think there's overpopulation? Any ideas on how to end that issue?

Over population is a huge issue, it is something that is preventing progress as a species. But that is not the fault of our mind but of our body. Essentially we are running 21st century software on 50000 year old hardware.

I think a lot of this is summed up by our ability to generate food. We can only feed a first world population that is less than 2 billion. If a country like china or india were to become a first world consuming nation, we would be in a global famine within 10 years.

There's a fantastic video called Surviving Progress. Something to watch.