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Scientific paper

Text

An Elephant in the room called overpopulation

Author:
Merel van der mark

Entry type:
Scientific paper

Year of publication:
2014

Publishers:
Degrowth Conference Leipzig 2014

Language:
English

Abstract: Today we have far exceeded the earths carrying capacity with over 7 billion people. But despite the fact that about half of the population daily suffers from hunger, many still believe that Malthus was wrong. Agricultural production has greatly increased due to the green revolution, but production will drop once fossil fuels run out. There seems to be a taboo on the discussion of population policies, which has its roots in a distrust from the south of the north, a rejection of communist practices, a theological belief in human supremacy, a view that the right to procreate is a fundamental human right and a capitalistic need for an ever growing population to achieve economic growth. Yet in world with finite resources, population cannot continue growing without consequences. If we don’t do anything about population growth, it will inevitably be limited by other means, like famine, disease and violent conflict.

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