The 21st century population crash

[stuntcat]

The United Nations (UN) projects that the global population will zoom from approximately 7.1 billion people today to 9.6 billion people by 2050. The World Bank and U.S. Census Bureau expect it to reach 9.4 billion. Other models suggest anywhere from 8.3 billion to 10.9 billion souls on the planet by 2050.

These models “assume a no-surprise future and focus on three main drivers of population — births, deaths and migration. Life expectancy is kept on a consistent upward trend, and unpredictable events like epidemics and wars are ruled out,” National Geographic explained in its population update this year.

In other words, the population forecasts that all policymakers around the world use are based on existing trends, not resources or surprise events.

But those who look at population through the lens of resources come to very different conclusions about population growth.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/take/the-21st-century-population-crash/1117

(IMHO, there is NO prediction, by anyone, except in religious books, that could excuse giving the rest of this century to new little babies.)

[OnlinePoker]

1. If you ask me, the bugs are going to get us sooner than that

If you go by the CDC report earlier this week, antibiotics are going to be pretty much useless soon and you'll see some mega-plagues breaking out sooner rather than later. It won't be like in the movies where they can create an antivirus or antibacterial that saves the day by the third reel, either.

[stuntcat]

3. terrifying and true

And we aren't even close to prepared to handle it.

The fights for water have been my biggest horror, but this could be just as bad by 2050, when I have to live 'til. Lucky me

[4dsc]

2. We don't have the resources to support them

its going to get interesting in the next couple of decades as resources play out around the world.