“I think we need to divide this discussion into two sections, one being in relation to world population and the other being our Aussie population.”

Yes Banjo, inasmuch as the solutions to global and Australian population growth are enormously different.

I want to concentrate on our national issue. I think that the global population issue is beyond humanity’s redress and is firmly in the lap of the gods. But In Australia, it is still remarkably easy to deal with.

“If it isn't a ‘problem’, why should it be a government priority?

Pericles I presume you mean; if it isn’t perceived as a problem by the general populace, then why should a government deal with it?

Because it is THE major issue threatening a healthy future. Governments are not just beholden to react to public concerns, they are beholden to be proactive for the common good as well.

“Scrapping the bribes - an action with which I totally agree, by the way, along with parental paid leave and all that fol-de-rol - will not have the slightest impact on birth rates.”

It would have a considerable impact. The baby bonus has led to an increased birthrate. Its abolition with perhaps some disincentives to have kids implemented in its place, would considerably lower the birthrate and make a significant difference in the length of time that it would take us to achieve a stable population…and considerably reduce the size of that population…once immigration is taken out of the picture.

“The figures I mentioned were 700 million and 4.5 billion, and I put them in to illustrate how misleading simple extrapolations can be.”

Yes I got the figures muddled. But my point remains. In the face of such enormous projected populations, or anything remotely near them, I can’t imagine that a difference in our population between say 23 million living sustainably and 45 million, projected from today’s growth rate, would make a hoot of difference, in the eyes of would-be invaders. This continent would still appear to be very empty. The same would apply even if we had 100 million.

It is difficult to stick to Ludgwig's main point about government failure to act without getting into all the previous debates about population sustainability - but I will try.

Governments fail to act on population sustainability for one main reason and that is they are still bound up by the usual economic obsession of growth. There is no lateral thinking about different systems or approaches to providing goods and services.

You only have to go back to the thread about the continuing expansion of cities like Melbourne where governments focus on 'growth' is limited to property development and if you focus on PD then you need more people to fill houses.

It is short sighted but inevitable when Australia follows the path set by the global obsession with growth economics.

I also think politician's are scared to advocate for more discussion about sustainability because it goes against big business interests and raises issues of racism. Then there are those with powerful religious self-interests who disingenuously use the sustainablity = genocide argument purely to assist their own agenda to populate the world with more of their kind.

The racism tool will inevitably be used to distract from the real issues and this is like playing with hot coals for most politicians.

I personally think Australians are ready and willing for discussion about human population and effects on resources and environment.

It is not only about how best to share and use resources but about the impact of continued and unchecked population growth.

Dear Examinator,

Thank You for your kind words.
As always they're deeply appreciated.

It's time that humanity realised that their
lives are a series of concentric circles,
growing and growing like ripples across water,
connecting them all in the same vast pool.

1.For the world as a whole, the number of children born per woman decreased from 5.02 to 2.65 between 1950 and 2005.
Europe 2.66 to 1.41
North America 3.47 to 1.99
Oceania 3.87 to 2.30
Central America 6.38 to 2.66
South America 5.75 to 2.51
Asia (excluding Middle East) 5.85 to 2.43
Middle East & North Africa 6.99 to 3.37
Sub-Saharan Africa 6.7 to 5.53

2.It has been assumed that global warming would cause an expansion of the world's deserts, but now some scientists are predicting a contrary scenario in which water and life slowly reclaim these arid places.
"The heating of the Earth would result in more evaporation of the oceans, in turn resulting in more rainfall."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8150415.stm

3.We need beter water managment, no overpopulation problems for Australia!
Torrential rains flood Australia's east coast
Thousands in two cities flee; some areas under 32 feet of water
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30886460/
Australia’s largest desalination plant, major irrigation upgrades and an expansion of the Victorian Water Grid are the centrepieces of a $4.9 billion plan to secure water supplies for the long term.
Desalination is a drought-proof, guaranteed water supply independent of rainfall or climate change,”
http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/b0222c68d27626e2ca256c8c001a3d2d/cc9c7628e163dcb3ca2572ff007c7e54!OpenDocument

4. SPACE
Arthur C. Clarke, a fervent supporter of Savage, argued that by 2057 there will be humans on the Moon, Mars, Europa, Ganymede, Titan and in orbit around Venus, Neptune and Pluto. Freeman Dyson (1999) favours the Kuiper belt as the future home of humanity, suggesting this could happen within a few centuries.

5. Overpopulation in Australia and overseas will create the best conditions to produce huge quantities of agricultural products and export them in extrem high prices. The golden years for Australia!

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

yeah the problem is us not dying fast enough

quote<<..CDC stops swine flu death count at 300
(Reuters)

More than 300 people have died from the new pandemic swine flu virus, U.S. health officials said on Friday, but they said the virus was so widespread they were ceasing the official count.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 43,771 cases of H1N1 influenza had been officially confirmed, with 302 deaths.

The pandemic spread globally in less than two months and has infected people in 160 countries, killing 800 people, the World Health Organization said. The WHO numbers do not include the latest CDC count.

Health experts say millions have likely been infected worldwide, but doctors can only test a fraction of suspected cases. Flu tests are expensive and unreliable and confirming H1N1 swine flu is difficult.

Health officials are now working with companies to test and make a vaccine against H1N1 to be delivered alongside seasonal influenza vaccines.>>>just wait till the compulsory vacination begins[then we wil get the required death rate]...

thats how we got aids...thats how they got the spanish flue[during ww1...vacinating the sole-diers]...get your hot shot..do your duty [hurry up and die allready]...the needle is mightier than any word

C.D.C.: All U.S. Children Should Get Flu Shot
(Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE56N41Y20090724?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true

All U.S. children aged 6 months to 18 years should get a seasonal influenza vaccine every year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

The CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat said the agency was strengthening recommendations for children to get the vaccination against seasonal influenza, especially with fears that the new H1N1 virus will be added to the already expected burden of seasonal flu.

the vacine song
http://republicbroadcasting.org/?p=3253

Feds Roundup New Jersey Democrat Government Officials for Corruption
http://republicbroadcasting.org/?p=3416
http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/criminal-rabbis/

Health Reform Beset By Infighting
http://republicbroadcasting.org/?p=3270
another 900 page document required to be passed asp
http://republicbroadcasting.org/?p=3411

a vacine form to give your peadio trition
http://www.fmotl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1285&p=12035#wrap
http://www.prisonplanet.com/12000-u-s-children-to-be-swine-flu-vaccine-guinea-pigs.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/026685_Pfizer_Nigeria_United_States.html

stuff you should know
http://www.reddirtreport.com/news.php?id=11938
http://www.prisonplanet.com/squalene-the-swine-flu-vaccine%E2%80%99s-dirty-little-secret-exposed.html
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=13925

http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2008/09/unusual-magnetic-forces-should-not-have.html
http://pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/the-war-on-terror-is-a-zionist-racket/