Some conclusions on world population growth, part 2
I’ve arrived at the end of the second month of Daily Monthly, and already I’m beginning to notice a pattern: Topics that seem relatively straightforward, which I thought I understood at at least a basic level, turn out to be quite complex, and don’t offer any easy answers.
Would the global ecosystem be better off if [...]
Some conclusions on world population growth, Part 1
I started this month’s discussion of world population growth with an image:
Look! Population is increasing and CO2 emissions are increasing! They must be related. And to a certain extent, they are. In the US, our carbon output on a per-capita basis has remained steady since about 1970. The reason our total carbon output has increased [...]
The potential for global prosperity
One question that’s always intrigued me is whether global prosperity is possible. Does capitalism inevitably require that some people will be the “haves” and others the “have nots”? Does my prosperity in America depend on the fact that low-paid workers in China are making cheap computers and TVs for me?
It could be that the global [...]
What does it mean to be “overpopulated”?
Population increases when the birthrate exceeds the death rate, and decreases when the reverse occurs. So what does the world look like when there are too many people?
One way to approach this question is to consider what the limiting factors in population are. When, exactly, does the death rate exceed the birthrate? A key consideration [...]
Are there too many people in the world?
We’re in a carbon emergency, we’re told. The world is producing too much carbon, and more every year, resulting in possibly irreversible global warming. But take a look at this graph (via Google):
If we’re in an emergency, why hasn’t carbon output gone up appreciably since 1970? The answer, of course, is that this graph measures [...]
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The Daily Monthly is Dave Munger's multi-layered exploration of ideas and issues affecting all of us today.
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