tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20142791.post114090973902940029..comments2024-03-11T07:41:19.149-04:00Comments on The Perfect Substitute: Poor Thinking on PopulationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20142791.post-1141271242484615632006-03-01T22:47:00.000-05:002006-03-01T22:47:00.000-05:00Dear Anonymous,I have noticed that there are plent...Dear Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>I <I>have</I> noticed that there are plenty of people suffering in the world today. However, it is not, as you suggest, due to overpopulation. Places like Hong Kong, whose population is incredibly dense and whose natural resources are minimal, is a good example of the potential for free-markets to bring prosperity to poor peoples. Poor populations are kept poor by restrictive policies that inhibit wealth-enhancing exchanges.<BR/><BR/>Your second paragraph, which suggests that "the exuberant species will drive itself to extinction", stands in stark contrast to the arguments about specie life spans from my past biology professor. He argued that the empirical regularity is to have a successful specie grow slowly, then exponentially, and then level off in a "steady state". This is overwhelmingly the way things happen. As such I don't see why you believe that world's population will die, rather than reach a steady-state, for lack of resources.<BR/><BR/>If you don't mind, I'll disregard your conjecture that "The animals and plants will thank God that we are gone." Neither I nor biologists generally believe that plants and animals have the cognitive abilities to display such self-aware emotions.<BR/><BR/>Sincerely,<BR/>David<BR/><BR/>(I would also refer you to the posts by my co-blogger, Mr. Matt Ryan, on the subject of economic development.)Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09677258044243356922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20142791.post-1141264366011027422006-03-01T20:52:00.000-05:002006-03-01T20:52:00.000-05:00Ahem ... have you not noticed that there are billi...Ahem ... have you not noticed that there are billions of humans presently suffering in the world, and that these humans have no prospects whatsoever to enjoy any level of prosperity comparable to that of Obese America? <BR/><BR/>When you load a planet down with 6.5 billion humans and allow the population to continue to explode what is most likely to happen is that the exuberant species will drive itself to extinction.<BR/><BR/>The Homo sapiens are going to become extinct. The Earth won't miss us. The animals and plants will thank God that we are gone. <BR/><BR/>Don't allow the population numbers to deceive you: Humans are heading straight to self-inflicted extinction. In the history of life on the Earth, no animal has ever behaved in as self-destructively violently suicidal as humankind. <BR/><BR/>That's why it is beyond doubt: the Homo sapiens will become extinct. <BR/>http://www.geocities.com/dmathew1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com