When the world population reaches 9 billion I expect that to be around the point where it starts to hold steady. This will take great leaps forward in technology and great political changes that bring about a more egalitarian society with no one starving, and a reasonable standard of living for all.
I am old enough to remember all the doom and gloom prophets of the past, how the whole world would be starving by the mid-seventies, how all the forests were dying because of acid rain etc etc
O.K many have starved, and that is plain evil. But it has far more to do with politics and who keeps firm hold of all the wealth than it does with the world's ability to feed itself. All the fuss about GM foods is mis-placed, it ignores the science and is just scare mongering, it is the way forward.
You don't hear about acid rain now, why ? because those "experts" were WRONG. The world as a whole did not sink into starvation by the mid-sevnties why? because the "experts" were wrong.
Ever since Malthus the prophets of doom have driven the policies of ignorant politicians, because doom-mongering gets the most exposure in the media.
I have the utmost confidence that ordinary people, if they are not stifled by governments, bureucrats and bloody "experts" will find innovative ways to move the human race forward, ordinary people note, scientists are not that good at innovation when you look at the record, the Industrial Revolution was brought about by ordinary folk inventing machinery to do the work of many people, the scientists invented very little.
Not that I am rubbishing science, we need its discoveries, but ordinary mortals are the best at making those things work.
Global warming may not be the huge apocalyptic problem it has been painted either, we can adapt.
The future is bright , be positive !
