To swfreedomlover, who wrote “What’s funny is that it is probably the people bemoaning an “overpopulation” of the world who also scream about saving lives and increasing longevity,” I would generally agree that they probably are, except they aren’t wrong in doing so. You’re assuming that the only way to stop overpopulation is to allow/force individuals to die off earlier. Keep in mind we have humane methods such as family planning. Educating people on a global perspective is probably our best bet, not killing off the population.

As for those of you who seem to think that it’s really not a problem, take into account the fact that over the past sixty years, we have quadrupled our population. That isn’t a happy thing. Luckily for humanity’s ignorant counterparts, we find the population trends pointing toward a leveling out and somewhat of a decrease. Although we seem to have escaped this time, the facts are hardly laughable.

I don’t think we are over-populated right now, however, we could be in the future (waaaay in the future) IF we insist on trying to prevent death. In the U.S. alone over 3 million babies are born annually. Far fewer die annually. IF you do the math, over-population might indeed be a problem in a few hundred years.

Personally, I wish they’d all make up their minds. On this and everything else, I’m dizzy trying to make sense of it….LOL

As for world population….yeah, we’re not overpopulated, although I don’t know if I share Ken’s thoughts on who thinks this way.

As for food and gas shortages….this is partially a political thing, for we have plenty of gas, we just are rationing (not Carter-esque rationing mind you)it at high rates, and maintain huge supplies throughout the world. Food itself, is partially due to politics that lead to wierd rates of food distribution, especially in certain countries in Africa and Asia, where governments or political strongarms are controlling food supply distribution (see Myanmar controversies, tribal warfare in Somalia in the 90s). We produce more food products per person than ever before in history, and yet:

“Since the improvement of cookery, mankind, in general, consumes twice what nature requires.”

—Benjamin Franklin

For example, Do you not feel there is any type of gas or food shortage on a global scale? Are we not destroying the rain forests? Or is that some sort of conspiracy?