I will re-iterate my point. The earth will definitely survive. But it could still cause a lot of economic damage from farm lands becoming less fertile, and fresh water becoming less plentiful. Humans have established a lot of cities and structures based off where we were at in the twentieth century. We can adapt, but it could be very painful.
Climate change is the perfect idiotic argument that industry loves. They've got the debate at the exact place they want it: useless bickering that boils down to partisan politics. The issue is pollution and its effect on vital ecosystems around the world, ecosystems that humanity relies on. The issue is the rapid dwindling of resources coupled with the meteoric increase of consumption. When Earth can't handle human civilization any longer, we won't be arguing about temperature changes, we'll be killing each other over food and water.
This. Is happening, as we speak. And we're only compounding the problem: http://www.seashepherd.org.au/comme...se-industrialization-of-ocean-destruction-614 Bingo. All of it.
You seem to be making the point that the human population has become too great for the resource of the earth when you consider the cycles of change that do occur. I sure would agree with that possibility. I know, over 50 years ago the population of the US was less than half of what it is now and China was known to be grossly over populated with 600 million souls. Now look, we have an immigration bill pending that estimates predict will result in a population in the US of 600 million in the later half of the 21 century. Damn! who would have ever predicted that would have ever gained much support? We need to get to the root problems here, not quibble about symptoms.
The real economic damage being done is the diversion of productive things into green things. Like food shortages caused by using our food to make ethanol.
So are you suggesting that human overpopulation is the root problem? Dare I ask what you would suggest is the solution?
The reason why humanity will kill itself off is because we too often considered only the economic damage.
Overpopulation is not a root problem, but it aggravates all our other problems. Half of the human population dying off would solve a lot of things, but only in the short term.
On a pure economic basis, the market drives the right things to be done. Like McDonalds serving food in landfill-friendly packaging.
Food waste could be used for making ethanol, I don't hear anti-green people championing that idea. Such as corn stalks. And I agree that using corn to make ethanol and not food is stupid. But not making fuels from plant material entirely is shortsighted.
If you reject that man is causing the Global Warming, er, Climate Change, then, Mr. Sceintist, you will never receive federal funding for the rest of your life. The IRS will audit your tax status every year until you die. NSA will monitor your whereabouts by GPS, and the Attorney General will tap your phone lines to find out who is filling your head with that garbage. (Because you are a risk to national security.) All the data collected will be held at the Utah Data Center. My God have mercy on your soul. Go Blazers
All of these clues and fears you seem to have gathered are all of real recent current events. For an old guy you are pretty darn quick!
Well we could avoid adopting a plan to set us on the path to a population number that has been known to be over population for many many years. As the Nation that consumes the highest percentage of resources per person of any nation, we certainly should not plan to double and set the tone that population growth is good! If the world does follow this lead with their own growth, following the leader, we are all doomed. I don't know what the sustainable, high quality of life population number is for this nation and or the world, but we damn well better know before we plan to exceed it.