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Optimal population of a country
Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:04 pm
by Hugo
Was reading this article on the world population:
The optimum population of Earth – enough to guarantee the minimal physical ingredients of a decent life to everyone – was 1.5 to 2 billion people rather than the 7 billion who are alive today or the 9 billion expected in 2050, said Ehrlich in an interview with the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... lifestyles.
As an offshoot of this what would you say is the optimal population size for a country? In other words if you could pick a population size that you were responsible for governing what do you think is the best?
I'd throw out 10 million, a Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland size nation. Big enough to be able to have your own identity and culture but not so large to have a hard to manage population or the responsibilities that come from being big and powerful.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:08 pm
by Marylandolorian
An other prophet. After few tries the Chinese almost did it, maybe next time they’ll be more successful.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:55 am
by Torquemada 1420
Tell that to the god botherers. Especially the ones in Rome.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:14 am
by FalseBayFC
South Africa's fertility rate has fallen from 6.5 in the 50's to 2.5 now. So changes, which may be accelerated by extreme resource depletion and major tech advantages are possible. Many developed countries have stable or even declining populations. This scares the growth-centric economists. I'm hoping that tech solves this problem before we hit 9 billion.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:49 am
by Lemoentjie
Well, that depends on how big your country is. Perhaps the better question should be what the optimal population density across inhabitable areas of the Earth should be.
Places like Mud Island and similar countries such as Bangladesh where everyone is packed together is clearly not sustainable. Meanwhile Russia has a big population, but low density, even in the inhabitable areas.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:58 am
by Sandstorm
Or perhaps where is the best climate to sustain 60 million people and allow them to thrive? France? Brazil? India?
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:26 pm
by FalseBayFC
Sandstorm wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:58 am
Or perhaps where is the best climate to sustain 60 million people and allow them to thrive? France? Brazil? India?
First thing is to choose a place with no volcanoes, earthquakes, droughts or hurricanes/cyclones
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:41 pm
by Sandstorm
FalseBayFC wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:26 pm
Sandstorm wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:58 am
Or perhaps where is the best climate to sustain 60 million people and allow them to thrive? France? Brazil? India?
First thing is to choose a place with no volcanoes, earthquakes, droughts or hurricanes/cyclones
Only droughts will affect your nation long-term and kill a lot of people. The rest are rare or can be managed by living in the right zone relative to the coast/mountains + building the right kind of homes. And that of course comes down to money. Which comes down to education.
Educate your population (and when you do, don't put a cunt in charge for ever like Mugabe), have good family planning training, manage crime & corruption and your country will thrive.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:21 pm
by assfly
All comes down to education.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:59 pm
by FalseBayFC
Sandstorm wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:41 pm
FalseBayFC wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:26 pm
Sandstorm wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:58 am
Or perhaps where is the best climate to sustain 60 million people and allow them to thrive? France? Brazil? India?
First thing is to choose a place with no volcanoes, earthquakes, droughts or hurricanes/cyclones
Only droughts will affect your nation long-term and kill a lot of people. The rest are rare or can be managed by living in the right zone relative to the coast/mountains + building the right kind of homes. And that of course comes down to money. Which comes down to education.
Educate your population (and when you do, don't put a cunt in charge for ever like Mugabe), have good family planning training, manage crime & corruption and your country will thrive.
3 cyclones so far this year off our coast. Hurricane wiped out Puerto Rico in 2017 and its still fucked. Climate change, man made or otherwise is going to fuck us all up.
With automation looming I fear that Africa for eg will never enjoy the wave of development that the Asian tigers did. Sure we'll reap the benefits of the tech but we'll have to have some form of UBI. We just won't need as many sets of hands to do the jobs.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:22 pm
by Hugo
Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:55 am
Tell that to the god botherers. Especially the ones in Rome.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christi ... conception.
Its interesting to see the various perspectives of Christian churches toward birth control/contraception.
Anglicans have said it is up to the conscience of parents since the 50s, most other denominations are still opposed. Baptists at first were open to it, now opposed.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:39 pm
by sockwithaticket
Hugo wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:22 pm
Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:55 am
Tell that to the god botherers. Especially the ones in Rome.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christi ... conception.
Its interesting to see the various perspectives of Christian churches toward birth control/contraception.
Anglicans have said it is up to the conscience of parents since the 50s, most other denominations are still opposed.
Baptists at first were open to it, now opposed.
Came to realise that without the believers breeding congregations will continue to dwindle inexorably I'm sure.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:43 pm
by FalseBayFC
There is some fairly convincing research out there that particulate pollution is having a noticable effect on fertility.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:40 pm
by lilyw
Hugo wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:04 pm
Was reading this article on the world population:
The optimum population of Earth – enough to guarantee the minimal physical ingredients of a decent life to everyone – was 1.5 to 2 billion people rather than the 7 billion who are alive today or the 9 billion expected in 2050, said Ehrlich in an interview with the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... lifestyles.
As an offshoot of this what would you say is the optimal population size for a country? In other words if you could pick a population size that you were responsible for governing what do you think is the best?
I'd throw out 10 million, a Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland size nation. Big enough to be able to have your own identity and culture but not so large to have a hard to manage population or the responsibilities that come from being big and powerful.
That article is complete nonsense. Full of complete assumptions presented as facts - how much space is needed, how much resource is required, how much can be shared rather than "owned" individually......................
It's embarrassingly non-academic.
Re: Optimal population of a country
Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:39 am
by Torquemada 1420
sockwithaticket wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:39 pm
Hugo wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:22 pm
Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:55 am
Tell that to the god botherers. Especially the ones in Rome.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christi ... conception.
Its interesting to see the various perspectives of Christian churches toward birth control/contraception.
Anglicans have said it is up to the conscience of parents since the 50s, most other denominations are still opposed.
Baptists at first were open to it, now opposed.
Came to realise that without the believers breeding congregations will continue to dwindle inexorably I'm sure.
100% that in regards catholicism. It's doubly invidious with christianity since the nonsense is founded upon poverty being a virtue ("will to power of the slave") so not only does it need more adherents, they need to have sh*tty, miserable lives.