Problems facing humanity

In your opinion, what are some of the problems facing humanity today? How about in the near-term and long-term?

For example: Over-fishing of the oceans that is threatening fish stocks.

 

Over crowding.. Lack of potable water..

 

No definite infrastructure for renewable and sustainable energy source.

 

For the world I would place climate change at the top, followed closely by the water/population equation.

For the United States I see a significant crisis soon with the poisoning or ground water due to Fracking.

 

Overpopulation / Demographic paradox

Peak oil in the long term

 

Overpopulation and various manifestations of "greed".

 

Over population , lazy people having lazy kids .

 

We will inovate ourselves out of problems like usually.

 

Overpopulation, leading to shortages of water, food and basic needs.
Political naivety and right wing extremism among US politicians.

 

Nice thought but it would be naive to think that even though innovation is unlikely to help the overpopulated developing nations or poor Americans. Only the wealthy and healthy might survive, but that might be the nature of evolution.

 

Fear mongering statists who run past us the end of the world scenarios in order to grab power and dictate to us what we can't have.

 

This is exactly correct. Its the #1 threat to humanity yet you will never hear it spoken of. The problem is, (or solution depending on the point of view) it eventually corrects itself, through disease and famine. If the climate shifts even a little we wont be able to adapt fast enough to feed the current population. Starvation will make humans do unimaginable things to fellow humans. We do these things on full bellies now imagine what people will do to you and your family when motivated by imminent death.

 

Who takes The Population Bomb (book) seriously anymore?

 

lack of conscience, ignorance and an almost complete failure to accept responsibility for our actions. aside from the typical rant by a rabid statist buffoon against the ideology of the right, all these other problems stem from these three.

 

A resurgence of communitarian despotism.

 

I've never read the book. It only makes sense, to me, that the only real solution to our long term survival is to reduce the world population significantly, or emigrate a very large number of people to another planet. Now that might be a decent piece of innovation that might save the world.

 

Or increase food production. We had done it before.

 

Yes, it's OK to increase food production, but that usually happens locally not where the population growth need it most. There will be thirst and starvation, no matter how much food production grows, it won't and can't be enough.

Then we have GMF - Genetically Modified Food products, and animals fed on antibiotics, who knows what damage that will do to people.

 

Problems are more in the distribution, not production. Also, food is only the beginning, overpopulation negatively affects production, distribution and utilisation of all the other resources, products and society in general. I think that if it wasnt for demographic-economic paradox and associated overpopulation, large scale poverty would have been eliminated by now. It is this positive feedback that makes poverty self-perpetuating and growing. It really behaves like a cancer which comes back unless you excize it completely and it metastasizes readily. And while some progress has been achieved, I am not sure we will ever have what it takes to heal the patient for good.

 

I concur with you treatise.

 

Corporations, greed, and economic slavery are amongst the top concerns this country has refused to face.

 

Whilst I agree with you, you would have to change the culture of USA and the developed world to change this. They all want it. And to be fair, you might not have the time or be able to think the way you do, were it not for the wealth and welfare system you have, were it not for the taxes they unwillingly pay to fund our somewhat limited welfare system for a developed nation.

 

Fish stocks are fine. Don't believe the hype. Simple regulations regarding size limits are all that is needed. Florida is a model for the rest of the world. Every endangered species is now rebounding now with some simple management of their resources.

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Why is it wrong for people to do what they want? Why do you think small business is practical for building heavy machinery? Mass retail? Oil production? Etc...? Why is it bad if people spend their labor how they want?

 

Not that the homeless want your trash, but the restaraunt will get sued should one get sick. They have to manage their quality standards.

What we should do is go to these poor agriculture based economies and flood them with free food. This way even their farmers are out of business and everyone can be dependent. Trickier then it seems my friend.