Are there too many people on the planet?

World population: 7.1 billion

Too many?

not really

What do you guys think is the threshold for "too many people"?

What do you guys think is the threshold for "too many people"?

gamerguru100

Unless we massively switch to environmentally friendly renewable energy... yeah, there's too many of us.

With equal distribution of wealth, there would be no thresholdNibroc420

This. The planet can still take a lot more people than now.

You are being naive if you think this is about physical space....

You are being naive if you think this is about physical space....

TheFlush

[QUOTE="TheFlush"]

You are being naive if you think this is about physical space....

Nibroc420

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"][QUOTE="TheFlush"]

You are being naive if you think this is about physical space....

quidy123

[QUOTE="quidy123"][QUOTE="Nibroc420"] that's all it's about.Nibroc420

What about fossil fuel?

no but there are too many fat people hogging the food that could end world hunger, not to mention waste them which we all are guilty with.

Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.ShadowsDemon

This, sadly, is also a fact.

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"]Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.GamerwillzPS

This, sadly, is also a fact.

Not where I am.

Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.ShadowsDemon

Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.ShadowsDemon

for my liking? yes

If it's simply about the relationship between the number of people on the planet and the land area of Earth.....

The area of Earth's landmass is ~148,300,000 sq km. In square meters, it would be ~148,300,000,000,000 sq m.

The Earth's current human population (according to the World Bank) is: ~6,973,738,433 as of January 17, 2013 

Divide the area of Earth's landmass by the number of people and there should be 21265.5 sq m of land for each person.

Obviously, it's not that simple. There are a lot of other factors to consider like the level of urbanization and urban concentration.

Plus, the oceans make up around 70% of the Earth's total area. Perhaps, humans can learn to live on or in them.

Unless we massively switch to environmentally friendly renewable energy... yeah, there's too many of us.

TheFlush

This, 

We are living in an unsustainable way.

The problem isn't the amount of people in itself. It's the rate at which we consume natural resources in an unsustainable manner and our over-reliance on non-renewable energy to support our infrastructure. Bearing those in mind, I'd say we do have a looming overpopulation problem.Blood-Scribe

That or go back to being an agrarian society.

[QUOTE="Blood-Scribe"]The problem isn't the amount of people in itself. It's the rate at which we consume natural resources in an unsustainable manner and our over-reliance on non-renewable energy to support our infrastructure. Bearing those in mind, I'd say we do have a looming overpopulation problem.jun_aka_pekto

That or go back to being an agrarian society.

[QUOTE="jun_aka_pekto"]

[QUOTE="Blood-Scribe"]The problem isn't the amount of people in itself. It's the rate at which we consume natural resources in an unsustainable manner and our over-reliance on non-renewable energy to support our infrastructure. Bearing those in mind, I'd say we do have a looming overpopulation problem.Blood-Scribe

That or go back to being an agrarian society.

I think so. Well, we can go back to being an agrarian society on our own or do it the Khmer Rouge way. 

[QUOTE="GamerwillzPS"]

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"]Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.ShadowsDemon

This, sadly, is also a fact.

With equal distribution of wealth, there would be no thresholdNibroc420

Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.ShadowsDemon

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"]Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.ArmoredCore55

Haha not even close.  25 billion would barely be too many.  And we will never get there.  Statistically impossible and all.

[QUOTE="ArmoredCore55"][QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"]Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.Rich3232

Well obviously if you don't agree with them.  DUH. 

[QUOTE="Rich3232"][QUOTE="ArmoredCore55"] This.GOGOGOGURT

Well obviously if you don't agree with them.  DUH. 

Yes, there are definetly too many people in this world.

[QUOTE="GOGOGOGURT"]

[QUOTE="Rich3232"] how do you know you aren't one of them? lo_Pine

Well obviously if you don't agree with them.  DUH. 

Tots

Never enough. Cloud_765

This.  How are more people bad?  More people means more minds to solve problems.  To invent.  To advance.  To make us great.  It's really absurd that humans are saying there are TOO MANY OF OUR OWN SPECIES. 

Well feel free to kill yourself.

Which ones do you suggest we get rid of exactly?

[QUOTE="Cloud_765"]Never enough. GOGOGOGURT

This.  How are more people bad?  More people means more minds to solve problems.  To invent.  To advance.  To make us great.  It's really absurd that humans are saying there are TOO MANY OF OUR OWN SPECIES. 

Do you not understand the concept of finite natural resources?

More people means more mouths to feed, more fresh water to irrigate, more homes and cars to power, and more strain on the infrastructure that provides these services and goods.

That's the problem. There's only so much that this planet can provide us with given our current rates of consumption and wasteful practices.

[QUOTE="ShadowsDemon"]Too many stupid people and not enough intelligent people.BluRayHiDef

[QUOTE="GOGOGOGURT"]

[QUOTE="Cloud_765"]Never enough. Blood-Scribe

This.  How are more people bad?  More people means more minds to solve problems.  To invent.  To advance.  To make us great.  It's really absurd that humans are saying there are TOO MANY OF OUR OWN SPECIES. 

Do you not understand the concept of finite natural resources?

More people means more mouths to feed, more fresh water to irrigate, more homes and cars to power, and more strain on the infrastructure that provides these services and goods.

That's the problem. There's only so much that this planet can provide us with given our current rates of consumption and wasteful practices.

No. We're just all concentrated in the same place.

Yes

Yeah, especially in India and China.

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"] No such thing as "finite natural resources"Blood-Scribe

Fossil fuels aren't necessary. When we harness renewable energy sources like solar power and wind we won't need them. If we ever get a mastery of fusion we'll have more energy than we will ever need. As for metal ores, everything can be recycled, and it's not like the metal is going anywhere. Plus, I could see us harvesting the resources of other planets in the future, although I believe that Mars is devoid of natural resources so it would most likely be asteroids that would be mined. If we're getting even more hopeful for the future, we could just make artificial metals. All metals are made of the same particles, just in different amounts. The only finite resource that we have is space, but we have a lot so it would take a lot of people to take that all up.