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Jake Maddox

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How can we sustain infinite growth on a finite planet?

Human population growth is a serious problem that is growing by ridiculous geometric progression. Everyday approximately 200,000 people die, and in contrast 450,000 are born. That is a staggering 250,000 new mouths to feed everyday! We cannot support infinite growth on a finite planet! We're running out of land. Thousands of square miles of rain forest are gutted every year for palm plantations to produce palm oil so that masses can be sustained. Fresh water supplies are in limited quantities. Polution and contamination abound. Why do people ignore the realities of where we're headed? It frightens the crap outta me. It appears as though the discovery of oil is when things really took off. Oil ultimately led to the internal combustion engine so that huge amounts of land could be cultivated. Pesticides and fertilizers were also made possible via oil to enhance production yields. As well as affecting the pharmeceutical industry to produce vaccines. It's not natures way.

Check out this human population growth chart: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/images/Popn_Graph2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/themes/keytheme1.htm&h=324&w=524&sz=49&tbnid=YSJSr0mYU4gonM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=124&zoom=1&usg=__kIp3FdU9ydMckYq62HCWmiEmqXc=&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2nk9UOvmL8vsigKdhIGwDg&ved=0CCUQ9QEwAQ&dur=655

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  • Christopher Melvin

    • +1
    Sep 15 2012: Perhaps infinite growth can be maintained virtually. Virtual economies, virtual identities. In the physical world, our 7 billion number seems not nearly enough to achieve our enormous potential. We have 7 billion minds that are just beginning to become networked to the point of critical mass. Our institutions and corporations are networked, our minds are connected with low latency.
    We have the capability to distribute handheld devices to every family on the planet that will provide connectivity to the virtual. We have the ability to grow food in abundance including meat. We have the ability to print housing. We have the ability to use energy to manufacture water out of air.
    The more minds that are connected and sustained, the more power we will have to sustain the Earth. Our society starts with self. We must take care of ourselves and our society and our planet will do just fine. Our jobs should be to increase connectivity and facilitate the growth of our own thought so we can figure a way out of this mess.
    To do that , I suggest we default monetarily and allow central banks to default and distribute the debt, the currency around the world, and increase the median. That will allow for more volatility and facilitate critical mass.
    Compassion is the capital of humanity. A network of humanity is its own economy.
    We must not be afraid of compassion.

    • jasreet singh

      • 0
      Sep 17 2012: That is a good way to use the Population or we can say the human resources when they are working together as a team to accomplish a huge target/goal.
      But there also arises a need.
      For Ex : If we have a person to bring water for us (Easy Task). Why would we need more than one? And if we have more we have to use resources for multiple in place of one.
      I guess you can understand my way Sir!

      • Christopher Melvin

        • 0
        Sep 17 2012: After years of innovation, humans have developed a robot that with bring you a cup of water filled with a drop from every well on the planet.

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