How right you are Bugsy, how very right about making whacko predictions.

So far we've had global warming making the seas rise which will swamp Pacific Islanders or indeed anyone living within cooee of the coast, which is good news for life savers but bad news for real estate agents.

Apparently the polar caps are melting as is the Himalayan ice. We're running out of arable land, we're running out of food and technology won't help us. Fish stocks and sulphate fertilisers have gone to buggery and the polar bears are becoming extinct and we're out of oil and people are unearthing Malthuse.

The Muslim are plotting against the white Christian races and the only way to save our economy is whack up massive tariff walls and cut all immigration, slash the baby bonus and get rid of international students.

Then the anti-pops will take over and force us to turn the clocks back to Year Zero while they live in a cave deep under Camp David with 500 beautiful women genetically chosen by the Adelaide Uni Genetics Department. Oh yeah, there will be no fighting in the war room.

....animals will be raised and SLAUGHTERD!.....for food.

ahem.

Bugsy is so right, but I feel his no-downside cheerfulness misses an obvious point.

The starving millions will not simply sit calmly, acknowledging their fate and accepting their rightful due.

They will violently attempt to acquire what they need from those few provident souls who keep a few oats in the cupboard.

Could be an exciting few weeks, and be sure to catch the highlights in HD.

Rusty

John, an excellent article. Food security in Australia needs to be protected. It is time that the governments of this country introduced a sensible protection of food producing regions. We on the Liverpool Plains and the Darling Downs of Australia have been figthing to the last five years to protect these areas. Both areas are food bowls of national importance. As a farmer on the Liverpool Plains I well aware of the productivity of this region - one of the few areas in Australia that produces two crops a year with yields of 40% above the national average. It is also predicted that our region will be least impacted upon by climate change. And yet this government is continuing to allow exploration for coal seam gas and coal mining - ultimately the cumulative effects of coal and gas extraction will destroy this region.

Thinkabit,
I wonder if the habitants of Easter Island, The Anasazi, The Mayans and eventually the World would have thought of your theory.
It all sounds a bit Australian to me.
“She’ll be right”, does not always work.

Agriculture has ceased to be a priority area for governments, universities and research. In Australia all Departments of Agriculture are being reduced to a minimal policy and regulation role – research capacity atrophying as researchers leave and aren’t replaced and funding for research cut. Agricultural faculties are dwindling, for example Sydney University’s Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources is largely a back door to Science and Economics for those who do not have a UAI suitable for entry into those faculties.

Australia seems to believe markets solve all problems – markets are about maximising profits for those with power in the market, not meet needs.

There is public policy interest in solving the issues we face. The emergence of strong public commitments to Agriculture the older generation experienced was driven by shortages generated by global conflict, WWII. Until such shortages are felt no action will be taken.

sarnian: Thanks for bringing up Easter Island, I knew someone would. When people talk about population Easter Island almost always gets a mention.

The real facts are that the people on Easter Island didn't die en masse* from environmental degradation. They were wiped out due to foreign disease carried in by the Europeans and were also removed in large numbers as slaves. The idea that they died from starvation caused by environmental degradation is a common myth that has been thoroughly debunked. However, greenies and population controllers keep perpetuating this fallacy for there own advantage. (If you don't believe me check out the wikipedia page on Easter Island.)

By-the-way, here's a simple question for you:

How many people are *currently* living on Easter Island?

The answer is in the thousands. This sizable population of current residents have a very healthy life with a higher standard of living than at any other time in the island's history even though the island is commonly help up as an example of the environmental catastrophy that is looming in our impending future.
The people on Easter Island are doing just fine even though there are now almost 7 billion people on the planet which is *billions* more than when Easter Island's population collapsed in the 1800's!

The world's current total global food production can easily cover your's, mine, the Easter Islander's and everybody else's needs.

The reason why people are currently starving in the world is due to local/regional disruptions to the food supply (such as flood or politics)-- it is *not* due to a global shortage of food!

[*As an aside: My response to your post has caused me to re-read my own and I've just noticed that I've said "on mass" a few times when obviously I meant "en masse". There are other slight mistakes as well. It always amazes me just how many mistakes I make when writing off the cuff without really proofreading. Sorry about the writing quality but you get the point I was trying to make I hope.]