While I disagree with James Sinnamon on some other topics, in this article I think that he's done well to draw attention to an issue that has been obvious to many of us for quite some time. To advocate perpetual growth in absolute and/or economic terms is ultimately madness in the face of finite resources and habitats. Sadly, I think that the rather hysterical reaction of Cheryl above is likely to typify responses to Sinnamon's article at OLO.

One important aspect that is missing from the article is a coherent strategy for alleviating exponential population growth. While we often hear sensible calls to stabilise or reduce human population growth, we rarely hear about concrete strategies for doing so.

In Australia, I think that the Federal government should remove the 'baby bonus' forthwith, and also the various family allowances that reward larger families. Contraceptive procedures like depo-provera implants and vasectomies could be offered free, not to mention simple measures like distributing condoms.

With respect to immigration, as I've said before it should be limited to bona fide refugees. We certainly can't continue to import economic migrants as we have been in recent years.

I think that Australia reached its human carrying capacity some time ago, and the population question is now a matter of urgency. Would anybody else like to add to the practical measures I've suggested above?

Steady state what a joke. I always find it funny how closely the far right and the far left sound like each other.

What suggestions can the author make about reducing immigration?

All you have to do is STOP the GST.

If governments can't directly profit from immigration they will FEEL the weight of the social gridlocks & chronic violence unrestrained immigration is causing in the community.

Just watch them close all the doors & windows then!

It is possible to create a political groundswell against the GST and this must be done soon.

As for the growth lobby which I view as snails eating the goodness out of our communities ... Ending the GST will be like tipping salt on the buggers.

A theme for endless Australian Economic growth:

Verse 1

Kevin Ruddster and His weevils
Ratting out our Nation
Flying through our Uncle Tobys
Not to bless 'em, but to eat 'em

Verse 2

When Kevster takes a Westpac Pill
The good begin to worry
They can't escape their awful fate
Of loss of interest and money

Verse 3

So come and join us all you kids
For lots of fun and laughter
As Kevin Ruddster and his team
Get all the GST paying migrants they're after

Chorus

Kevin Ruddster, he's our man
Hero of our nation
For mindless violence & gridlock just be sure
And vote Labor at the polling station

Unfortunately we do not have choice. We have overpopulated our planet, polluted it and almost used up every resource. Despite overwhelming evidence that all life on this planet is threatened, we choose to disbelieve and to go on as if nothing will ever change. It seems that we will fight to get the last drop of oil no matter how difficult that is.

We must be babies.

Big change is coming; some of it is already here. Will we refuse to accept what's happening? We didn't learn from Easter Island, or any other fallen civilisation in history and it seems we use denial as our principal coping mechanism.

Auae.

I'd liken population increase to taking on more people in a lifeboat thinking the new additions will help with the rowing. We only find out later they tire quickly and become a burden as the boat sinks closer to the waterline. Even the publicly funded ABC is a cheerleader for continued growth. Their enthusiastic taxpayer funded stock market reports must seem like a gift to big business. While I didn't realise that overseas students may have had permanent residence in mind I do suspect the Pacific Island fruit pickers will ultimately form enclaves in the cities. How they will support themselves remains to be seen. I note many sponsored African refugees still don't have jobs and I wonder if the funds spent resettling them here could have helped more people in their homeland.

As the economy contracts it may be that Australian citizens will find fruit picking type jobs more acceptable. Similarly when baby boomers swamp aged care facilities underemployed Gen Z might take those jobs rather than recent immigrants. Some of the water supply and climate dramas we are experiencing now are just a taste of what lies ahead.

“Would anybody else like to add to the practical measures I've suggested above?”

Yes CJ. It’s all very simple in Australia. Reduce immigration down to about net zero and hurtle the absurd baby bonus into oblivion. That's it. Nothing else is needed in this country.

It is a whole lot harder in the Third World. But I dare say that we could make huge progress worldwide if Obama and the Gates Foundation would just come out strongly in support of population stabilisation and allocate aid resources accordingly.

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“Steady state what a joke.”

Kenny, what’s your vision of ‘steady state’? What does this term mean to you?