by Regulus » July 10th, 2012, 4:45 am
Well, the idea that every population has a limit is definitely not something that can be argued about, it is a fact. If there are more predators than prey, the prey population decreases, and some predators are forced to starve.
But, as humans, we have a few tricks up our sleeve to circumvent this. We 'create' our own food, by breeding animals and farming land. However, even this has it's limits. What happens when we don't have enough land to farm? We won't have enough food, and then the inevitable is going to happen.
Whether or not we are close to overpopulation, I am unsure of. However, I do know that our population as it is today has a negative effect on our environment, and that is a sure sign that our numbers are getting too high.
The thing is though, with some large-scale adjustments, this can be changed. We could build giant floating cities to live on, and use the land we have now exclusively for farming. Or, dare I say it, we could leave Earth behind and colonize other planets altogether. Keep in mind, though, that these are extreme measures. There are much smaller ways to boost the efficiency of land use, which can also help.
Basically, it's like global warming. Yes, it may not be a problem. But there is a chance it could be a problem, and there are measures we can take to prevent that.