Earth's population soon to reach 7 billion

[liffy]

The population of the earth will probably reach 7.000.000.000 by the end of October, or in early November (as if 6 wasn't more than enough for us at the moment).

Then again, there's a lot of weird stuff that coincides with the number seven.

Here's a link to a website that has a countdown/countup for the occasion. (It's actually an initiative that is set to bring solutions to the issue of overpopulation).

_http://www.7billionactions.org/

 

[bngenoh]

i wonder if there is anything special about it being 7.

 

[Psalehesost]

i wonder if there is anything special about it being 7.

Don't think so - after all, if we counted in something other than base 10, and base 10 is fairly arbitrary - then it would be some other number.

 

[Pierre]

i wonder if there is anything special about it being 7.

Don't think so - after all, if we counted in something other than base 10, and base 10 is fairly arbitrary - then it would be some other number.

I'm also wondering to what extent this 7 billion figure is accurate. I guess that most nations don't exactly know how many citizens they have and some nations probably don't know it at all.

 

[anart]

i wonder if there is anything special about it being 7.

Don't think so - after all, if we counted in something other than base 10, and base 10 is fairly arbitrary - then it would be some other number.

I'm also wondering to what extent this 7 billion figure is accurate. I guess that most nations don't exactly know how many citizens they have and some nations probably don't know it at all.

From what I understand, it's a projected estimate. They don't know for certain.

 

[EGVG]

i wonder if there is anything special about it being 7.

Don't think so - after all, if we counted in something other than base 10, and base 10 is fairly arbitrary - then it would be some other number.

I'm also wondering to what extent this 7 billion figure is accurate. I guess that most nations don't exactly know how many citizens they have and some nations probably don't know it at all.

From what I understand, it's a projected estimate. They don't know for certain.

We'd have to ask 4D or higher beings to know for sure the exact figure.

 

[williamsj]

My opinion/speculation is that the only meaning of 7 billion is simply a general recognition that this is close to the limit that our planet can support.

The word support is of course tied to the use of resources by the number of people. If one person uses just 100 square metres for all their food and energy requirements we would all be fine. But when we have countries that consume several square kilometers to support one person we have a severe problem...

In simple terms if everyone used what is required to support their survival rather than what they "want" I would suggest that figures of 10 -12 billion would be nearer the mark.

As long as we have people who want gas gussling cars and insist on living in the XXX riviera then we have a problem.

In ones humble opinion the earths resources require careful management, but the earth has very few good resource managers - After all it is an STS world

 

[EGVG]

My opinion/speculation is that the only meaning of 7 billion is simply a general recognition that this is close to the limit that our planet can support.

The word support is of course tied to the use of resources by the number of people. If one person uses just 100 square metres for all their food and energy requirements we would all be fine. But when we have countries that consume several square kilometers to support one person we have a severe problem...

In simple terms if everyone used what is required to support their survival rather than what they "want" I would suggest that figures of 10 -12 billion would be nearer the mark.

As long as we have people who want gas gussling cars and insist on living in the XXX riviera then we have a problem.

In ones humble opinion the earths resources require careful management, but the earth has very few good resource managers - After all it is an STS world

Have you read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith? Really good book, could give you some clues to the situation we are in.

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Myth-Food-Justice-Sustainability/dp/1604860804

 

[Buddy]

The population of the earth will probably reach 7.000.000.000 by the end of October, or in early November (as if 6 wasn't more than enough for us at the moment).

Then again, there's a lot of weird stuff that coincides with the number seven.

Here's a link to a website that has a countdown/countup for the occasion. (It's actually an initiative that is set to bring solutions to the issue of overpopulation).

_http://www.7billionactions.org/

What is the "issue of overpopulation"? Can you imagine what 7 billion people could do to clean up the environment, create abundant health and happiness for everyone and DCM knows what else, if there were no human parasites sucking the life blood out of us all?

I think "overpopulation" is a red herring and that the real problem has always been repressive/suppressive "governances". But I could be wrong.

 

[liffy]

What is the "issue of overpopulation"? Can you imagine what 7 billion people could do to clean up the environment, create abundant health and happiness for everyone and DCM knows what else, if there were no human parasites sucking the life blood out of us all?

I think "overpopulation" is a red herring and that the real problem has always been repressive/suppressive "governances". But I could be wrong.

Certainly a good point. That being said, with the way things are being dealt with at the moment, heavily increasing populations in regions that lack sufficient resources is definitely not a good thing.


Edit=Quotes

 

[Buddy]

...heavily increasing populations in regions that lack sufficient resources is definitely not a good thing.

Nor is it a bad thing necessarily. That's why we invented logistics and previously created a "wealth" of opportunities for new generations. The existing set up is superb for an explosion of growth in almost every context and dimension. If we can manage to get PTB psychos off everyone's back, people will find their will and find their way and we will all benefit in that non-zero sum environment.

I think I understand what you're trying to say, though, but this is my outlook. The C's did say that whether a person experiences what's coming as "good" or "bad" depends on their assumptions, right? Perhaps I'm just an insufferable optimist. Or just insufferable, period. :)

 

[Third_Density_Resident]

i wonder if there is anything special about it being 7.

Don't think so - after all, if we counted in something other than base 10, and base 10 is fairly arbitrary - then it would be some other number.

But humans here on Earth DO use base 10 for counting. It could be argued that there is no significance in ANY number because all counting systems are "arbitrary". However, base-10 counting has been used predominantly over nearly all of the world for quite some time, hence it could be argued that the number 7, as defined by the base-10 counting system, is significant (as per the idea that there are 7 densities, 7 intervals in an octave, etc.).

And remember how the Cs said that the human experiential cycle mirrors the cycle of catastrophe? It has been (mostly) part of the human experience to use base-10 counting in "recent" times, so perhaps the population of 7 billion, being a significant number, will mirror upcoming "catastrophes"?

 

[Nienna]

In simple terms if everyone used what is required to support their survival rather than what they "want" I would suggest that figures of 10 -12 billion would be nearer the mark.

As long as we have people who want gas gussling cars and insist on living in the XXX riviera then we have a problem.

In ones humble opinion the earths resources require careful management, but the earth has very few good resource managers - After all it is an STS world

So what is needed is getting rid of those 1% - the rich elite?

 

[Finduilas495]

In simple terms if everyone used what is required to support their survival rather than what they "want" I would suggest that figures of 10 -12 billion would be nearer the mark.

As long as we have people who want gas gussling cars and insist on living in the XXX riviera then we have a problem.

In ones humble opinion the earths resources require careful management, but the earth has very few good resource managers - After all it is an STS world

So what is needed is getting rid of those 1% - the rich elite?

When you asked this question, the Odyssey thread came to my mind. In the frame of this analogy, I would draw the conclusion that those who behave like the suitors will probably meet the suitors' fate at some point. I guess it all boils down to objectivity and knowledge, that one needs to understand one's environment and the natural cycles in order to address issues of survival appropriately. We need the earth's resources (I use this word in lack of a better term, though it sounds a bit cold and abstract to me) in order to survive, but we should take only what we need and do it with respect and reverence. As to the number of people the planet can support, I think more data is required regarding how we exactly interact with the earth and how balance is achieved.

 

[Psalehesost]

What is the "issue of overpopulation"? Can you imagine what 7 billion people could do to clean up the environment, create abundant health and happiness for everyone and DCM knows what else, if there were no human parasites sucking the life blood out of us all?

I think "overpopulation" is a red herring and that the real problem has always been repressive/suppressive "governances". But I could be wrong.

Have you read The Vegetarian Myth? As explained there, the population would be much, much lower were it not for agriculture - a short-term solution that, for some time, can sustain a much greater population at the cost of depleting the top-soil able to sustain the production of produce. Petroleum-based fertilizers are the only reason the global food supply is still able to keep up, and it has been that way for some time - without it, the bulk of the world's population would inevitably have to starve to death.

Agriculture and centralized, hierarchical power structures also go hand in hand - probably both will remain until both simultaneously meet their end.

i wonder if there is anything special about it being 7.

Don't think so - after all, if we counted in something other than base 10, and base 10 is fairly arbitrary - then it would be some other number.

But humans here on Earth DO use base 10 for counting. It could be argued that there is no significance in ANY number because all counting systems are "arbitrary". However, base-10 counting has been used predominantly over nearly all of the world for quite some time, hence it could be argued that the number 7, as defined by the base-10 counting system, is significant (as per the idea that there are 7 densities, 7 intervals in an octave, etc.).

And remember how the Cs said that the human experiential cycle mirrors the cycle of catastrophe? It has been (mostly) part of the human experience to use base-10 counting in "recent" times, so perhaps the population of 7 billion, being a significant number, will mirror upcoming "catastrophes"?

My thinking, to explain it further, starts out in that the number 7 - by itself - is not involved, except when using a convention (billion as a unit) that allows it to be used by itself; the raw number is 7 000 000 000, and apart from being very large, I do not presently see any special significance in this number. I was further - and in connection to this - thinking that this very large number would look very different (7 no longer the most significant - ie. largest - digit) in any other base - including ones where 7 - which I agree can sometimes be a significant number - is defined.