This thread should be titled "Over Population" with an exclamation mark! You wouldn't put that density of cattle in a paddock and expect them to make the "fat sale". Of course the planet is over populated.

What's the solution, feed the morons to the lions.

I'm not suggesting there should be restrictions on how many children people can have but I still maintain the world is over populated on the premise that we now live a lot longer due to developments in science , infant mortality rates are much lower (at least in developing countries), we can cure disease faster ets so our exponentially we are over populated. If not now then when do we decide we are? Not even AIDS has made a real dent in the world's population.

People die of starvation because resources are not shared equally - that is to say we westerners have the life we have at the expense of poorer people. I am not suggesting we should all beat ourselves up about it but it is reality. Likewise, I can go and buy a new t shirt for $10 and the reality is that it will have been made in a sweat shop in China or Pakistan.

I think it is fair to say that most people on this forum do try and live a life NOT built on excess and we are all pretty aware of ways to do that and that we all support each other and share information and resources and that is what is really important.

so none of you have ever seen someone on the TV News or Current Affairs and though they were stupiud or arrogant or selfish or all three :uhoh: you must all be saints !!

better change the board name to Aussies Living Saintly

BTW Dick Smith thinks Australia is overoaded and has written a book by that title to be launched this morning

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/01/28/media-briefs-foreign-policy-falls-for-earthquake-hoax-how-much-is-an-abc-journo-worth/

found that link after hearing a story on ABC but the ABC today bit isnt online yet - lots of links from last week where DS says Aussies could stararve due to overpopulation see Google news

Anne

Anne you are so funny... NOT!

I for one can not be bothered with your bitter & self righteous posts any longer..


You just don't get it

I DO get the real IT -

the population is unsustainable -

the economic system is unsustainable

Climate change will make it more so

Peak Oil will make it more so

For a dose of reality try subscribing to

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roeoz/?yguid=4643795

Anne

Yes & calling people stupid & all those other names are going to solve these problems ... do you think ?

As a businessman, Dick Smith would be well aware that individual wealth builders, who start companies with the sole intention of making huge profits, is why we have the situation where:

Our cities aren't coping because greedy people at the top, want the most cream - while the remants filter down to the population. Crowding has to do with access to work, and guess where most stores open up? That's right, metropolitan areas.

If he's that concerned by overcrowding, why doesn't he open a Dick Smith's electronics store, out the back of Bourke. He has the power and means to do that, and actually start reducing our suburban overcrowding.

Probably not, but he'll continue making money for his own empire by asking:

Is he canvassing for a new political party to sponsor? Just what we need, another party with another agenda (insert: left, right, centre, here), for milking the common man to feed the personal empires of Australian businessmen.

Dick Smith is a wealthy businessman because he knows where to be standing, when there's an opportunity to start skimming the cream from the top.

He makes money from the old Industrial economy that is respnsible (in part) for the dire situation he outlines - and now he's going to start promoting new leaders to control the population futher?

Bad Aussies, you cannot be trusted with your own personal freedom. He doesn't just want our hard earned money, he wants to tell us how to live too. I've just found a new reason not to support Dick Smiths personal empire.

I choose to pay off my mortgage first, so that rich businessmen can keep their hands off our politicians.

Don't get me wrong, I respect Dick Smiths tenacious spirit, but I have no doubt where he stands on this issue. Making money. :metal: Australians may starve due to overpopulation, but you can be sure Dick Smith won't, nor any politician we pay for the rest of their nature lives. The future fund will ensure polticians can retire in good health.

What Dick Smith means to say is, that Australians starving would starve his business of profits. That warrants a book about overpopulation I suppose.

...anyway, when people wish to have a child or children, or if unable then need IVF to do so, need or want a termination, adopt a child or children from Australia or Internationally, others have no right to determine or judge what people do with their bodies (edit) or lives.

Didn't Dick Smith sell his electronics chain in 1982?

yep

.. absolutely Bullseye & trying to point people into a certain direction by labeling & calling them names, will put us further in the sh!t, IMHO.





.. never did like Dick Smith.

Well said Bullseye.

This thread went on for longer than I thought it would before it degenerated into name-calling. However, it now has, hence it is being locked.

Thank you to all those who contributed well-reasoned arguments and I'm sorry that again, you 'suffer' because of a few.

Barb

dixiebelle wrote:That's part of it, but it's mainly about servicing debt and ensuring the rich get richer. The local and global economies require continual growth to function correctly. A good micro-example of the problem is the building industry. It couldn't survive in its current form if population didn't grow. It relies on more houses, more industry, bigger and bigger cities, hospitals, roads, infrastructure etc etc. If it just maintained building structures because of degradation, the industry would be a tiny fraction of what it is today.

The reason most of us have a job is because of growth. A depression is just a period of negative growth, and it's not uncommon to have unemployment rates of 50% during these times.

Up until Dick Smith started banging on doors, our politicians completely ignored the limits of growth imposed by energy, soil, water etc. They would have been quite happy if Australia's population increased to 35 million over the next few years. In my opinion Dick Smith is being far too subtle. If he knew of the limits about to be imposed by Peak Oil he'd be knocking on those doors a hell of a lot harder.

Seems we all know the problems, but are a bit light on solutions!