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 Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 12:59 pm
There are currently over 6 billion human beings on the planet, and our numbers are still increasing. The world's natural ecosystems are being degraded at a rate unprecedented in human history. The World Wildlife Fund's Living Planet Report 2006 shows that we are currently using the planet's resources far faster than they can be renewed. On current projections, this means that as a whole, humanity will need at least two planets' worth of natural resources by 2050. WWF report - http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000003149.aspThe other species with which we share this planet are suffering as a result. Habitat destruction, e.g. deforestation, over fishing and hunting, pollution and climate change have caused many more species to become seriously endangered or extinct. The report has shown that between 1970 and 2003 terrestrial species have declined by 31 per cent, freshwater species by 28 per cent, and marine species by 27 per cent. In July this year the Western Black Rhino became extinct. Gone forever. The Red Wolf is critically endangered, as there are believed to be no more than 50 mature Red wolves left. The giant panda is also classified as an endangered species due to the fact that it only exists in severely fragmented subpopulations consisting of up to 250 mature adults, and that there has been continuing decline in the area of habitat. Tigers, Elephants, Snow Leopards and Gorillas are just a few examples of well know species which are being endangered by human activity. There are also many plants and insects which become extinct every year. How many more species will be lost forever in future years? The sadly ironic fact is that us humans are destroying our own habitat as well. We only have one world. (And we call ourselves the most intelligent species on the planet?!) Climate change will affect us too.
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Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:00 pm
Questions:Are there too many Human beings on the planet? The people living in developing countries emit far less CO2 emissions per person than we do in Northern Europe and America. Could the planet sustain every human in the world living a Western lifestyle (which is what many people in developing countries are aiming for)? Is it ‘fair’ to say other people shouldn’t have the lifestyle the average Western person takes for granted? Cars, TV, computers, music systems, money, holidays etc., etc. Is it right or fair that we increase our numbers and our lifestyle/impact on the planet at the expense of other animal species? Many people are quite happy to control numbers by culling of other animals when they are seen as a pest (Not me!) Yet we find it hard to acknowledge the destruction caused by our own species. If there should be less people – How could we go about reducing our numbers in a way which would be both effective and acceptable to people? Edit: useful website - http://www.optimumpopulation.org/
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Le Aristocrat Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:18 am
I think it is time for population control. I think that we should enforce (globally) what has happened in China. One child per couple. I know that there would be serious repercussions from sentimental "humanists" who have the dream of twelve children, but it really is your planet or a child.
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:48 am
Firstly I agree that there should be less humans on the this planet, though not because we're destroying everything else (which I also feel for too) but that we've just lost our true selves and humans have... well, they've gone too far.
However, you must remember that thousands, if not millions of species became exstinct before humans even populated one small area. This happens naturally, and not everything is due to human activity in the ares. It's like global warming, which is a natural occurence, only human activity is speading up the process.
Do you think it affects the swallow population of Europe if the Panda's all die out? Do you think they even care, or even know? I think we should let things take their course, however I'm not saying it's alright to burn down rainforests etc. (it certainly isn't) and killing millions of creatures just because they're in the way. Certainly not, but we should spend time trying to correct our own mistakes instead of thinking for others who probably can't think in the first place.
Who says that others outside of the first world should not have what we have? Of cause it's not fair, but since when has life been fair? If you're talking about third world African countries that have no economy, no crops and are devastated by war of their own doing, would you give so much technology to someone who is not reliable to use it to kill millions of people in other countries and not just your own? I have nothing against little African children watching TV, however does it benifit them in the long term? How can they afford it anyway with no job?
Have you ever heard of the term Survival of the Species? It is natural for every species to populate themselves. Think how many more thousands of ants there are compared to humans. It's a natural occurence, I mean, if everybody had a child that would be... hang on...*counts*... Well at the moment only 1 in ten women will actually have a child so that's ten percent more of people on the planet. Humans are choosing not to have children, unfortunately there are not enough of them.
You will never find a way of stopping people from having more children unless we had a Brave New World society which conforms everyone to state ideals through subliminal messages. And if they started doing that then there would be an uproar.
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Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:29 am
From Wikipedia: “Prior to the dispersion of humans across the earth, extinction was a purely natural phenomenon that generally occurred at a continuous low rate (mass extinctions being relatively rare events). Starting approximately 100,000 years ago, and coinciding with an increase in the numbers and range of humans, species extinctions have increased to a rate unprecedented[3] since the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. This is known as the Holocene extinction event and is at least the sixth such extinction event." “According to a 1998 survey of 400 biologists conducted by New York's American Museum of Natural History, nearly 70 percent of biologists believe that we are currently in the early stages of a human-caused mass extinction,[10] known as the Holocene extinction event. In that survey, the same proportion of respondents agreed with the prediction that up to 20 percent of all living species could become extinct within 30 years (by 202 cool . Biologist E.O. Wilson estimated [4] in 2002 that if current rates of human destruction of the biosphere continue, one-half of all species of life on earth will be extinct in 100 years.” Further information here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6502368/It isn’t just a question of one species, but of many species and whole ecosystems that are being threatened by human activity. If it’s our fault then I believe we humans have a responsibility to do something about it. I think it’s sad that we have distanced ourselves from nature and other animals to the extent that many of us forget that we are all inter-connected. We are the only species that is willfully destroying it’s own habitat.
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Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:40 am
donnythephoenix I think it is time for population control. I think that we should enforce (globally) what has happened in China. One child per couple. I know that there would be serious repercussions from sentimental "humanists" who have the dream of twelve children, but it really is your planet or a child. I agree that we need population control. The problem is enforcing it and what to do if people disobey the rules and have more children then they are allowed. Stopping paying people masses of child benifits for each child they had would be a first step in the right direction. Do you know how effective the China one-child policy was at reducing their population growth? But as the situation is so serious I think we do need to face the population issue and make difficult decisions. Maybe offering free sterilisations would help as well, to prevent accidentaly pregnancy. Also I definatly believe we should be doing more to provide people in the developing countries with contraception and education about birth control, not just better medicines and health care.
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Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 1:21 pm
I think we should have a quota for the amount of people we need who have an IQ under 110. There are so many useless people nowadays>.<
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:25 pm
my IQ is 120 something! mrgreen
thats all i wanted to say! mrgreen
it might have been 126 actually!
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:07 am
Titania Von Doom my IQ is 120 something! mrgreen thats all i wanted to say! mrgreen it might have been 126 actually! Congrats! I think the average human IQ is 100 - so you'd be safe in a 'survivial of the brainiest' style society, lol xd
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:07 am
Titania Von Doom my IQ is 120 something! mrgreen thats all i wanted to say! mrgreen it might have been 126 actually! I BEATS YOU!! I think mine is 154...it used to be 160 something when I was 12...
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Le Aristocrat Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:08 am
I never took an IQ test incase the results came out horribly wrong...
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:11 am
But, honestly Melissa, you can't expect to get a bad score. From what I can see you do seem rather intelligent.
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Le Aristocrat Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:45 am
Heh, thank you, but y'never know... My father got 160 or something, why he doesn't use it, I have no idea...
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:45 am
donnythephoenix Titania Von Doom my IQ is 120 something! mrgreen thats all i wanted to say! mrgreen it might have been 126 actually! I BEATS YOU!! I think mine is 154...it used to be 160 something when I was 12... lol! i did two! one was 126 the other was about 90 something!
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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:28 pm
I got a really high one. I can't remember exacty but it was over 140! It would explain why I am so good at maths!
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