1. What in your mind is the COMFORTABLE carrying capacity of the earth (I believe it has already been exceeded but I understand other arguments based upon advances in technology)?
2. When we reach that capacity how do you propose that we convince people that having more than two children is both illogical (from a group perspective) and immoral?
The bottom line is that anything that grows exponentially will eventually become dangerous. The growth in the human population has already done an incredible amount of damage to the world although we have also made incredible andvancements. The question is how long can it last? I'm afraid that by the time we decide we have too many--it will be too late.
Spencer Stang
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Dear Spencer,
Thank for the email. May I ask why you chose the word "comfortable"? I have felt comfortable in an airport reading a book, even tho there were many people in a small area. On the other hand, in sparce population of the altiplano of Peru, I at times felt uncomfortable.
The answer to your second question obviously depends on the first. Julian Simon, who was no lightweight on the population question, calculated that with our current technology we could support about 40 billion people and that given human ability to solve problems we could probably continue to increase our population indefinitely.
About the damage we have done to the world I would agree. I've made a mess of my own room and my rug has awful stains, but those things can be fixed. I've seen a lot of environmental damage in the Puget Sound area reversed even tho our population has grown tremendously. Is there some specific damage which you are concerned about?
Sincerely,
Fr. Phil Bloom
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Are we Overpopulated?
Facing Hard Questions: Have We Already Filled the Earth? (cf. Gen 1:28)
Are We Destroying the Environment?
Population Research Institute offers an in-depth study of these questions.
The amazing example of Hong Kong.
Is Poverty a major cause of Overpopulation?