Child Mortality is down - this is not good news

I've made some new points in my previous post.

There is too much interdependency in global trade for any major world war to occur in the near future. One major country going to war with one of their largest trading partners would devastate both parties. Perhaps the global interdependency is what is driving the diffusion of the unsustainable Western lifestyle and the precipitous increase in resource usage.

Ok, reduce population by 90%. You do realise that at least 6billion people would need to die right? Thats a lot easier said that done.

Stupid idea.

Yes, I know 6 billion people would have to die.

Why is it stupid?

What is stupid is thinking materials simply appear from thin air and we can carry on as we are for the next 2 billion years. You just sound like you are in denial over the problem.

Oh, Holly. Oh dear.

But look at the time when that bet was made and the materials it was made on. The real issue lies with the massive boom of China and India along with rare earth minerals- something no one had really heard of up to 10 years ago. Combine this with modern prospecting (remote sensing etc), and our estimates of materials is far better the it has ever been.
And again, even if the estimates are out by 200 years, that is 200 years, not the hopeful life span of humanity.

NB. Also power generation. This is becoming a problem as no method of generating electricity does not harm the environment and it is on the increase.

But he forgets about materials. We have the science, but not the materials to supply it to so many people. Unless we master fusion, we are screwed.

Global trade is something that has kept many counties at peace with each other for some time. The fact that the global trade that holds them together would be falling apart could encourage countries to use military force as they would have nothing to lose. What would happen when something like uranium starts to run out. What would happen it China wants to buy the last uranium off Australia, but America uses force to get it as it could not afford to buy it?
I do agree with your point on global trade driving us ultimately into the ground. No company would reduce its production due to a lack of minerals - instead it would simply charge more for its product. Also the consumer would never stop buying the product because the average person does not stop to think about where the item came from etc.

Your warning about the risks of population growth was first voiced by Thomas Robert Malthus at the turn of the 19th century. For the most part all of his concerns were discredited. Last time I flew to Nevada I could see hundreds and hundreds of miles of nothing from the airplane window. There is plenty of room for the human race to grow.

http://www.childmortality.org/cmeMain.html


So, child mortality is coming down, more countries are becoming developed, this should be good news right?

Wrong.

We barely have enough resources to support less then a billion people in a 'developed' lifestyle, how can we possibly support more?

I am not talking just about oil, but other materials such as lithium (20 years supply left so you better start enjoying nuclear batteries), rare earth minerals which are key to electronic goods, and general power consumption. Unless we crack fusion there is no possibly way we can generate enough energy. Wind farms? The amount needed would screw up the wind patterns or completely stop wind in areas. Solar panels? They would take up such a large surface area that it would heat up the atmosphere and destroy the eco system.
The only solution I can see is that every country needs to put a population cap and reduce the worlds population by at least 90% otherwise humanity will be permanently stuck in the middle ages within 100 years.

EDIT:
http://www.naturalnews.com/028028_rare_earth_elements_mining.html

2012 : end of terbium
2018 : end of hafnium
2021 : end of silver
2022 : end of antimony
2023 : end of palladium
2025 : end of indium
end of gold
end of zinc
2028 : end of tin
2030 : end of lead
2038 : end of tantalum
2039 : end of copper
2040 : end of uranium
2048 : end of nickel
2050 : end of oil

2064 : end of platinum

2072 : end of natural gas

2087 : end of iron
2120 :end of cobalt
2139 : end of aluminium
2158 : end of coal

If you think there's room in Nevada, you should take a look at Wyoming

But seriously, does anyone else find it unnatural for people to have to live on top of one another via skyscrapers and such? Isn't that a sign that there are too many people?

they choose to live in sky scrapers so that they can live in the city, lets face it, they could live in the country where theres nobody around, they don't have to live above other people.

Yes, I know 6 billion people would have to die.

Why is it stupid?

What is stupid is thinking materials simply appear from thin air and we can carry on as we are for the next 2 billion years. You just sound like you are in denial over the problem.

EDIT:
http://www.naturalnews.com/028028_rare_earth_elements_mining.html

2012 : end of terbium
2018 : end of hafnium
2021 : end of silver
2022 : end of antimony
2023 : end of palladium
2025 : end of indium
end of gold
end of zinc
2028 : end of tin
2030 : end of lead
2038 : end of tantalum
2039 : end of copper
2040 : end of uranium
2048 : end of nickel
2050 : end of oil

2064 : end of platinum

2072 : end of natural gas

2087 : end of iron
2120 :end of cobalt
2139 : end of aluminium
2158 : end of coal