According to worried researchers at a recent US science conference, the planet cannot continue to sustain its present population targets without becoming ‘unrecognisable’ to how we view it today.
The report indicates that the planet could be headed towards an apocalyptic Mad Max type world, one where the price of food and other resources could quickly spiral out of control if the population surges to 10 billion as predicted in 2050.
The researchers don’t paint such a rosy figure for the next 40 years: a world where resources are scarce and countries fight wars with one another to secure resources. One population expert says part of the solution rests with proper family planning initiatives. But seriously, where’s Mel Gibson where you need him?
Goose
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 2:24 PMI’m already stockpiling the guzzoline and Dinki Di dogfood. Now I just need an Interceptor and a tall, skinny bloke with a gyrocopter and some snakes.
Namarrgon
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 2:32 PMCheck out Hans Rosling for a fascinating examination of population trends.
Basically, population growth slows and can even go negative, as the population gets educated (particularly women). We’re on track to get to 9 billion, but if current trends persist and if we can continue to improve living standards of poorer countries, it’s entirely likely that population will stabilise there, and maybe even drop a little.
doubleDizz
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 2:45 PMI’ve already started buying up all the leather pants and jackets on the east coast.
Mid-21st century fashion mogul in the making.
Daniel Long
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 3:41 PMI’ve already got a Cattle dog waiting by my side – now all I need is one of those handy ‘gyrocopters’.
Brendan
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 3:15 PMWhere is Mel? Ha! Everyone know I rule the wasteland
Steve
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 6:04 PMWho run Barter Town?
In all seriousness, I’m not sure whether to believe the rosy-eyed optimists… Or the fire and brimstone types who think the world will be Mad Max or Waterworld. It’ll probably be somewhere in between.
Population surges are something that fortunately, can be controlled. China enforced a single child policy decades ago and now their population is plateauing (and in the near future will plummet once their top-heavy older population dies off). Additionally, population growth in developed nations is slow, assuming it’s even positive at all. Many counties in Western Europe, and Japan have negative fertility rates and are only buoyant due to immigration.
In fact, the vast majority of this explosive growth is in the developing world. Once overpopulation becomes too serious a problem, industrialised nations will simply take on a policy of lesser foreign aid and ‘fuck you got mine’ politics. By then, the 3rd World’s population would return to equlibrium, possibly through famine, war or genocide.
The main problem is power. In 2050, crude oil reserves will be emptied and it’s simply a question of whether we have enough renewable sources of power by then. It’s uncertain how much borrowed time Nuclear Fission can give us.
J
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 7:18 PMPeak oil is less of a problem than you think, once we have used the current supplies of (easily accessed) oil, the price will rise naturally (unlike the 1973 and 2007 rises) and oil sands/shale and other options that are currently too expensive to pursue will come online (hell, the investments are already made).
Simon Reidy
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 9:09 PMWhen I think dystopian future Australia, I think this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneath_a_steel_sky
David Anderton
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 9:58 PMI’m with steve, but we also can’t forget land. We are seriously running out of fertile land so we will have to start using massive hydroponic set ups, which use yet more power and fertilisers that use even more energy to produce.