- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Do You Believe in the Theory of Carry Capacity?
Posted on 7/16/20 at 6:03 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Posted on 7/16/20 at 6:03 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
quote:
Supposedly, at the density of Manhattan, the entire Earth's population could fit in Texas.
Room is not the issue. It's having enough gas based fertilizers, oil-based pesticides, and fossil fuel powered equipment and irrigation to feed the planet.
Eating Fossil Fuels.
Population, The Elephant in the Room.
Arithmetic, Population, and Energy video.
So, you can laugh and say this guy wildly misfired on his predictions. But, I think he's right that when things go into decline, we are cooked. I honestly think industrial civilization might only have like 20 years left:
Peak Oil, Total Collapse, and the Road to the Olduvai.
This post was edited on 7/16/20 at 6:08 pm
3
Posted on 7/16/20 at 6:07 pm to Porkchop Express
Watch Hans Roslings “Don’t Panic” Video.
It covers pretty much everything that you listed.
It covers pretty much everything that you listed.
Posted on 7/16/20 at 6:26 pm to Porkchop Express
Don't worry Bill Gates vaccine will make sterility a thing. He has been into population reduction for some time. Perfect vehicle with Corona..don't you think...
Posted on 7/16/20 at 6:30 pm to Uptowner
quote:
Not sure if it's true, but I've read that without chemical fertilizers, the earth could support about 2 billion people.
If one technology greatly increased capacity, who's to say another won't do the same thing?
This. Fertilizers increase the planet’s food output. Our next closest resource crisis is likely fresh water, and we already have the technology to build large-scale desalinization plants, although they are fairly inefficient. That leads to a need for more energy.
All of these problems can be solved, and I don’t think we are anywhere near the point of reaching carrying capacity even with the technology we have today.
The problem is that all of the technological “boosting” of the planet’s carrying capacity also makes us vulnerable. We require a functioning global economy with logistics and infrastructure to maintain our population. If those supply chains break (due to natural disasters, war, EMP, a pissed of AI, whatever) we are fricked. It’s a house of cards.
Posted on 7/16/20 at 7:02 pm to Bunk Moreland
Dude, those articles are bullshite.
The first one is 17 years old. The others talk about peak oil.
Peak oil has been a talking point for 50 years.
People change, habits change, technology changes. We are nowhere near peak oil currently, but it’s naive to think no other technologies could or would take its place.
One of the barriers to new technology is the fact that oil is so plentiful and cheap.
There is also plenty of land available, especially current land that is used for non food production. Currently 80 million acres worldwide are used to grow cotton.
If we are facing starvation, this land can be used to grow food. Synthetic fibers can replace cotton.
When making these dire futuristic predictions, these people always forget new technology and the changing consumption habits of humans.
Also, global warming is good for the planet and will create more available farm land.
The first one is 17 years old. The others talk about peak oil.
Peak oil has been a talking point for 50 years.
People change, habits change, technology changes. We are nowhere near peak oil currently, but it’s naive to think no other technologies could or would take its place.
One of the barriers to new technology is the fact that oil is so plentiful and cheap.
There is also plenty of land available, especially current land that is used for non food production. Currently 80 million acres worldwide are used to grow cotton.
If we are facing starvation, this land can be used to grow food. Synthetic fibers can replace cotton.
When making these dire futuristic predictions, these people always forget new technology and the changing consumption habits of humans.
Also, global warming is good for the planet and will create more available farm land.
Posted on 7/16/20 at 7:05 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Good luck with that infinite growth paradigm while we live on a sphere. 
Posted on 7/16/20 at 7:10 pm to Bunk Moreland
I don’t believe in infinite growth, but I also don’t believe we are near the max.
Changing technologies and human growth patterns will help in this regard. People are already having fewer children, at least in developed nations.
Changing technologies and human growth patterns will help in this regard. People are already having fewer children, at least in developed nations.
Posted on 7/16/20 at 7:25 pm to Bunk Moreland
quote:
So, you can laugh and say this guy wildly misfired on his predictions. But, I think he's right that when things go into decline, we are cooked. I honestly think industrial civilization might only have like 20 years left:
Peak Oil, Total Collapse, and the Road to the Olduvai.
His entire premise was based on peak oil. Peak oil as described in that link is a myth. We may see peak oil demand in the not-so-distant future due to alternatives (natural gas, renewables, a future resurgence in nuclear fission, or breakthroughs in fusion) but this idea of a supply-side shortage of crude oil has been around since the 50’s and it has been wrong.
Hubbert’s predictions were remarkably accurate until the 2000’s:
The thing he missed, obviously, was the technological breakthrough of hydraulic fracturing. The problem is not that he didn’t foresee the fracking revolution 50+ years in advance - it’s that he (and all of the doomsayers who came after him) failed to take into account our potential for technological advancement. Oil did indeed get expensive in the early 2000’s, as predicted. Now there’s a glut. It will eventually get expensive again, and there will either be another breakthrough or a shift to other energy sources.
Hell, researchers believe methane hydrate deposits alone would increase US natural gas reserves by 7x. When Hubbert was working in his peak theory, we didn’t even know these deposits existed.
Posted on 7/16/20 at 7:26 pm to Bunk Moreland
People were saying we’d hit peak oil in 20 years 40 years ago.
We’ll be terraforming planets for widespread colonization of deep space and taking tourist trips to Martian day spas before we come close to peak oil.
We’ll be terraforming planets for widespread colonization of deep space and taking tourist trips to Martian day spas before we come close to peak oil.
This post was edited on 7/16/20 at 7:29 pm
Posted on 7/16/20 at 7:31 pm to kingbob
He’s quoting 17 year old articles, when technology has changed dramatically just in the last 10.
Page 3 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News