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I don’t see how we can address resource consumption and pollution more broadly without population controls. We need a two child, replacement rate rule. Otherwis

I don’t see how we can address resource consumption and pollution more broadly without population controls. We need a two child, replacement rate rule. Otherwise we will continually play whack a mole with patching symptoms and bickering politics. And yet no one wants to own up to this reality.

inapis 7y ago
India is already at almost replacement population levels when you look at the data nationally.
- puranjay 7y ago
  To add to that, outside of a few states, fertility rate is well below replacement level for most states. The problem is that these rogue states have a) very high fertility (3.3 for Bihar iirc) and b) very high base population which greatly accelerates population
spodek 7y ago
Generations ago I would have agreed. Several generations of inaction have resulted in needing a less-than-two child rate. Before the Haber-Bosch process, humans numbered about 2 billion. That process requires fossil fuels. With some efficiency gains we can probably double that number, but along with many other triangulation points, it seems only a substantially smaller number than today's would allow sustainable human society. We can get there by lowering the birth rate or nature can do it for us, which would likely lower it well beyond.
Consultant32452 7y ago
Two child policies aren't necessary, as populations become more educated and wealthy they naturally have fewer children. This is already taking place. So we just need to keep spreading democracy and education, especially of women.
sumedh 7y ago
> We need a two child, replacement rate rule. Have you looked at the birth rate of India for the last 30 years, it has been consistently falling down. Some of the Southern Indian states have birth rates below replacement rate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_union_territories_of_India_by_fertility_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_union_terri...
kamaal 7y ago
The problem is rapid unplanned urbanization. And that is because there is not enough money to develop new cities. Heck, let alone that there is not enough money to sustain existing ones. So you end up huge masses of population concentrated in existing cities. The areas around Bangalore are empty. Try visiting Kolar or Tumkur during weekdays, chances are you will be bored in 30 minutes of your visit and fall asleep. The afternoons feel empty and totally devoid of any activity. Bangalore itself was this way a few decades back, when I was growing up here. The problem with the cities will continue for the obvious reasons. There is economic activity, schools, colleges, hospitals and better life prospects.

inapis 7y ago

India is already at almost replacement population levels when you look at the data nationally.

puranjay 7y ago
To add to that, outside of a few states, fertility rate is well below replacement level for most states. The problem is that these rogue states have a) very high fertility (3.3 for Bihar iirc) and b) very high base population which greatly accelerates population

spodek 7y ago

Generations ago I would have agreed. Several generations of inaction have resulted in needing a less-than-two child rate. Before the Haber-Bosch process, humans numbered about 2 billion. That process requires fossil fuels. With some efficiency gains we can probably double that number, but along with many other triangulation points, it seems only a substantially smaller number than today's would allow sustainable human society. We can get there by lowering the birth rate or nature can do it for us, which would likely lower it well beyond.

Consultant32452 7y ago

Two child policies aren't necessary, as populations become more educated and wealthy they naturally have fewer children. This is already taking place. So we just need to keep spreading democracy and education, especially of women.

sumedh 7y ago

> We need a two child, replacement rate rule. Have you looked at the birth rate of India for the last 30 years, it has been consistently falling down. Some of the Southern Indian states have birth rates below replacement rate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_union_territories_of_India_by_fertility_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_union_terri...

kamaal 7y ago

The problem is rapid unplanned urbanization. And that is because there is not enough money to develop new cities. Heck, let alone that there is not enough money to sustain existing ones. So you end up huge masses of population concentrated in existing cities. The areas around Bangalore are empty. Try visiting Kolar or Tumkur during weekdays, chances are you will be bored in 30 minutes of your visit and fall asleep. The afternoons feel empty and totally devoid of any activity. Bangalore itself was this way a few decades back, when I was growing up here. The problem with the cities will continue for the obvious reasons. There is economic activity, schools, colleges, hospitals and better life prospects.