<< Australia has been giving 1.2 million Dollars a day to New Guinea since that country's independence in 1975 >>

Indi, could you provide a bit more information about this?

PNG should have been weaned off of Australian financial support years ago.

And yes, this sort of money should definitely be given to ‘Australian battlers’ instead!

Is the world overpopulated?

Only because of our values and the way we live.

For instance Japan has a population density of 350 people per km2 compared to just 3 for Australia.

My state of Victoria has stripped 80% of its forest cover away, a good portion sold as wood chip to the Japanese.

Japan on the other hand retains over 65% of its forest cover and still manages to house its population, support a massive industrial base, and grow most of its foodstuff including being able to maintain a ban on any unprocessed rice imports.

Over population is a concern for the unthinking.

csteele once more and as usual we differ.
I remain so very glad I do not live in the world you do.
This thread was not meant to be about lifestyles or miss use of grants.
It was to focus on if and why we are over populated.
Links have been many/complex and informative.
Rather than highlight Australia, leaving out our lands very nature, water good soil human carrying capacity we could benefit by seeing the problem.
Clearly almost every link and most from the UN , gives evidence the west is consuming far more, far, far, more, but contributing very much less to population growth.
Starvation is evident, annually, any balanced look will show those drought stricken nations are over populated, given lands ability to carry, a stock term but relevant, current number of humans.
Symptoms today and bound to increase are, refugees, hunger, starvation, water, shortages, extreme poverty, I could continue.
But in truth am unable to digest your view those who are concerned are? well proud to be very different.

Ludwig,
Just look up aust aid to PNG & start reading. Even better, speak with people in the game for less official but more accurate info.

http://www.pngbuai.com/300socialsciences/foreign-aid/PNG-Future-of-Foreign-Aid-in-PNG.html

Dear Belly,

I am very familiar with your personal concerns;

“Refugee movements world wide, far worse than Australia's current problems, and getting worse daily.”

“Refugees, in big numbers for us , but small in compassion (sic-how apt!) to what the potential is becoming.”

“Food shortages
Refugees
even Global warming?
Are the above the problem or a symptom of over population.”

But the facts just don't support those concerns. The bulk of our refugees come from war torn nations, the great famines of early last century occurred in nations that are now exporting more grain than Australia, and birth rates are diving world wide.

The path forward is pretty clear, raising people from want serves to drop birth rates. It also makes them more receptive to those actions of governments like Thailand and Iran that Banjo illustrated.

The changes that have been achieved in the last 50 years have been astounding and extremely positive. Hans Rosling's TED talk is getting old now but it tells the incredible story of how many of the doomsday scenarios have been put to bed so quickly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVimVzgtD6w

Obviously they still get rehashed as they are now but they have lost much of their sting.

We should be celebrating and building on those achievements. We have a fair idea what works and what doesn't. Our aid should indeed be directed at raising people above want, not only because it has a dramatic effect on population growth but because it shows we are not “small in compassion”.

csteele,
You forgot about the 45-50 million that died in China during the great famine. 1958-62.

According to wikipedia there are 6 million kids die each year from starvation and, in addition, there are 92.5 million people malnourished each year. So, to my mind we are not doing very well.

WHO says lack of food is the greatest health risk humans face.

On the contrary, Thailand found the provission of the means and education in family planning was the catylist for better economic conditions for both poor people and the country.

The ratio of people per square Kilometre is missleading, try Canada or Alaska, what is important is the birthrates in famine susseptable countries.

Dissappointed this morning to see that Iran is to cut its family planning programme for political reasons. They have shown state sponsored family planning does work.