Csteele, indeed global fertility rates are dropping, but due to
the increased population, we are still adding around 80 million
a year.

Personally I don't think that a world with 9 billion is sustainable,
as even our present 6.6 billion is not sustainable. Note the crash
of the world's fishery, as ocean after ocean is plundered and
emptied. It only got a small mention in the press, but one of
the jobs of the Ocean Viking in April, was to discover 130km of
driftnetting, seemingly set by two Spanish vessels. When the
Spanish need to go near the Antartic to catch fish, things are
looking pretty crook!

Govts back migration, because house building for those new migrants
is a major industry and a Govt won't win an election if the economy
is poor. But is covering all that farmland from Melbourne to
Brisbane with more suburbia, really such a good idea?

Meantime we need to import doctors, dentists, nurses, policemen,
miners, engineers, meatworkers etc to WA, because Australians
seemingly don't have the skills or don't want the jobs. It makes
no sense to me. Now the suggestion is, that we'll need to let the
Chinese develop more of our mines, because Aussies seemingly don't
have the money! Nope, they are all over East, building and trading
houses for each other, for even more migrants.

The thing is, the more people in Australia, the more we'll trash
the environment and ours is a fragile one. So we need to decide
on what is a sustainable population for Australia, with a balance
between people and other species etc.

Even if we took 20 million and trashed this place, that is still
only 90 days worth of global human breeding, so will not fix
anything.

Csteele, I agree. As I wrote earlier (in agreement with Ludwig's post) we could raise our refugee intake substantially and still have a more sustainable intake by reducing immigration of skilled and professional workers.
As you say, the time to start working on a viable system of static population is now.
In the very near future we can expect riots and wars over basic necessities; water and food. Perhaps not in this country, but one way or another, everyone will be affected.

Dear Grim,

You said “In the very near future we can expect riots and wars over basic necessities; water and food.” Why do you think that? Is it just your intuition?

The answer to water shortages is raise people to a standard of living that they can afford the more expensive forms of water harvesting; e.g. desalination, recycling, deep aquifer access etc. For me a better targeted form of globalisation would do wonders toward that goal.

Dear Yabby,

80 million extra people a year is just over 1% of our present total. We need to be able to increase our food production efficiency by just that figure per annum for the next forty years to get us there. I know that is simplistic and doesn't take into account things like peak oil and projected fertiliser shortages but I see it as doable.

I agree a 9 billion strong population is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term but we only need to support it for a little while before the pressure will ease.

What we must stop are misguided politicians promoting an increase in the birth rate for nationalistic reasons. I see our continuing path toward embracing multiculturalism essential to mitigate their message.

As to resources we strip six times the amount of water from our environment per capita compared to the UK or three times that of Germany, a country that could fit into half NSW with four times our population.

But you are right about the environmental risks although I consider them not insurmountable. It will take a committed government the likes of which we are yet to see but I think it will come.

Dear Bazz,

You might need to give me some examples.

*As to resources we strip six times the amount of water from our environment per capita compared to the UK or three times that of Germany*

Indeed we do Csteele, for you are comparing apples with oranges.
Australia is the most arid continent on earth,with the most clapped
out soils on earth. In other words, its very old dirt.

We don't generally have that cold, wet weather as in Britain and
Germany. Our agriculture, which consumes most of the water, like
rice, cotton and fruit production for instance, relies on irrigation.

Agriculture and mining are still our major sources of export revenue.
Perhaps you are suggesting that the cotton and rice industries shut
down?

In a way you are contradicting yourself, for if the rest of the
world is not full, why do they all need to come to Australia?
If they are full, then clearly your dream of 9 billion, makes no
sense at all. Moving them all to Australia is no more then a
temporary band-aid, it does not solve the global problem.

I predict a quite different outcome. The Chinese this year, will
already be purchasing as many vehicles as the Americans. China
in the next 10 years, will consume as many resources, as it has
ever consumed in the past.

As resources, oil, energy costs go through the roof, rising food
and energy costs will come down to a survival of those who can
afford it. Even now, the world food programme cannot find the funds
to feed the tens of millions on its books.

To grow cheap food, you need cheap energy, cheap fertilisers, all
resources that are coming under stress. Collapsing fish stocks
won't help, the oceans are basically stuffed now!

Yet we still have such Western institutions as the Catholic Church,
banning contraception and encouraging more babies. Perhaps its
time to flog off the Vatican, to feed the starving masses.

cjsteele,you wanted to know what I meant by some European countries being "under permanent occupation." Though you didnt seem to know what I meant you nevertheless could unequivocally deny outright that no country alluded to was "under permanent occupation" A contradiction, wasn't it?
Consider the state of Belgium and Holland are in today.Do you think that the immigrants who are presently resident there intend ever leaving and returning to where they came from?There are still daily arrivals in the hundreds. There will come a time when the demographics will change. The Dutch and Belgians have almost reached ZPG whereas the immigrant family each has an average of 7 children. They wiil be numerically superior in many areas where they will claim to be under sharia law. They will alter the judicial system eventually.Democtatic procedure will deliver the parliaments into their hands eventually. If this isnt "being under permanent occupation" what the hell is it?

The situations in Germany, France and the UK isnt quite as bad but those countries have already surrendered their culture and literatures. They will never be the same ever again.

Australia stands on the knife edge and is leaning in the ame direction if we arent careful.

Vigilance is the price of freedom.

Please, someone call me a racist now.

socratease

Socratease,

I completely agree with what you have said, i very much see a judicial and political handover that will certainly see the values and traditions that australia holds to be lost.

I wonder; where will the people that cry injustice for the refugees be hiding once this takes effect. "sorry i got it wrong" wont cut it.

I make the statement:" Australian's are not Racist but are culturally cautious"