1-Population: the population growth is not out of control. Its growth rate had its peak in 1960 and is diminuishing; todays' value is 1/5 of the growth rate in 1960. UN estimates that world population will stabilize in 11.000.000.000 at 2100. |
But it is also true that population growth is dense in urban areas, compared to rural areas. So Urban areas would encounter heavier problems associated with overpopulation
2- Hunger: Food is not becoming scarce. Acording to UN we produce 23% more of food per capita than in 1961. In the 3rd world countries, in the same period, the growth of ingested calories was 38% per capita. The subnutrition went from 35% of the world population to 18% and is expected to be 12% in 2010. There was 920 million people sufering from hunger in 1970 and now the number is 784 millions (Lets not forget that in this period the 3rd world population doubled). Furthermore the agricultural growth rate is 20 times the population growth so there is no inerent food shortage problem. |
We just need the transportation to distribute food. I've seen this CNN documentary in Congo where a bunch of provisions were rotting because they couldn't finance enough transport systems to carry them onto needed areas. Having food is no good if you can't eat them.
3- Forests: The foresteal area is not diminuishing. Since 1950 until 1994 it went to 30.04% to 30.89%. The desforestation rate is not 1.5% to 4.6% but one tenth of it. And this number doesn't count with the reforestation. |
If you compare bahia (the NE tip of Brazil) 30 years ago to today, you wouldn't be saying that.
4- Energy: We don't have the danger of an energetic crisis. We have oil for more than 100 years. Besides oil there are alternatives such as schist oil which is 8 times more energetic than oil. Estimates say there is 242 times more schist oil than oil. Moroever, if solar energy technology continues to grow at the current rate, solar energy will become industrialy competitive in about 2030 and will substitute almost all other forms of energy in 2065. The actual world's energy demand would be satisfied if 2.6% of the Sahara desert was covered with solar pannels. |
The problem here is distribution. Some countries would inherently have more than others.
My thoughts