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~*Official #COVID-19 Thread of Doom*~ Revenge of Omicron Prime


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So, on the one hand, the world's shrinking population is great for the world (and human species) long-term. However, in the short-to-medium term we can only hope that the massive disruption caused by some countries shrinking (like Russia, China, etc) and others expanding (specifically USA and Canada, who tend to welcome immigrants) will be contained to local strife, and not spill over into regional/world wars.

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15 minutes ago, CayceG said:

 

Malthus, pls go.

 

I didn't say shrinking to zero*. But a stable population of say, 500 million people, is far preferable to a population 20 billion. 

 

*although I do believe a universe without consciousness is preferable to one with it, simply because the creation of consciousness/experience leads to pain, with no ability to opt out before experiencing it.

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11 minutes ago, CayceG said:

Malthusian ideals are not based in fact. They are based in discriminate class warfare. I don't want to go deep into this, but just consider what needs to happen to those other 19.5 billion people.

 

To be clear, I am not talking about letting people die, I am talking about them not being born in the first place. I believe the goal of all life should be the improvement of the living experience.

 

6 minutes ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

We won't get to 20 billion people it's a moot point. Just about half of that is where we'd end up at max

 

For sure, I was just using a high number to illustrate the point. Barring any world crises, the world's population will likely peak between 11-13 billion in the mid-late 21st-Century, and will then rapidly decline.

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4 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

If only that were so.  That's the case if you view the supply side as fixed -- which it often is not.

 

Do you have an example of a resource we need that is in short supply for reasons not related to the private control of that resource?

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6 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Fresh water.  We have far more than we need.

 

The issue is distributing it though. 

 

...assuming we're talking about fresh water stocks in the ground/lakes.

 

If we use direct potable reuse (toilet-to-tap treatment systems) where wastewater is treated then re-treated as drinking water, then the distribution issue really decreases. 

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7 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Fresh water.  We have far more than we need.

I don't understand your point here. If we have far more than we need, how is that an example of a resource that is "in short supply for reasons not related to the private control of that resource"?

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2 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

I don't understand your point here. If we have far more than we need, how is that an example of a resource that is "in short supply for reasons not related to the private control of that resource"?

There are lots of fresh water resources that are not in private control.  They just happen to not be near the place that where they are in short supply.

4 minutes ago, CayceG said:

 

The issue is distributing it though. 

 

...assuming we're talking about fresh water stocks in the ground/lakes.

 

If we use direct potable reuse (toilet-to-tap treatment systems) where wastewater is treated then re-treated as drinking water, then the distribution issue really decreases. 

Yes.

 

Scarcity is complex.

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3 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

There are lots of fresh water resources that are not in private control.  They just happen to not be near the place that where they are in short supply.

Yes.

 

Scarcity is complex.

 

Choosing to create cities in places where resource importation is needed has legitimately nothing to do with the ability of the species to maintain or even grow in size. It just means the places where growth will occur in the future will be the more resource dense places.

Which brings us back to the original issue, which is hoarding of resources by the haves over the have nots. This includes nations.

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