Phanerothyme   12 #49 Posted June 7, 2019 Well, I can't think of a single living organism that doesn't reproduce and grow to the limit of available resources. Why should we be any different? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Voice of reason   0 #50 Posted June 7, 2019 8 hours ago, Phanerothyme said: Well, I can't think of a single living organism that doesn't reproduce and grow to the limit of available resources. Why should we be any different? There's two. 1. Panda's. Genetically programmed for self destuction, by being the faddiest eater on the planet, and near inability to breed. 2. Humans. Who normally apply more logic to their actions. Unless everybody you know has 20 kids? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Phanerothyme   12 #51 Posted June 7, 2019 (edited) Yeah - sorry, I should have pointed out the obvious corollary - organisms reproduce and grow to the limit of available resources or die out. You're right - pandas have evolved perfectly for their rapidly diminishing evolutionary niche, but hey would have already died out if it wasn't for human intervention. To what extent are humans not reproducing and growing to the limit of available resources? It strikes me that all life is driven to live. That means consuming resources for energy to create ordered systems out of disordered matter, and reproducing.  4 hours ago, CaptainSwing said: Because we are, as far as we know, the only species that can understand what's happening, and could try and do something about it.  [Also, I guess that populations of r-selected species don't grow to carrying capacity, if you still buy into the r/K schema.] no idea what r/K Schema is. I don't believe that individual understanding of the world translates to behaviour on the part of the species.   Edited June 7, 2019 by Phanerothyme Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Voice of reason   0 #52 Posted June 7, 2019 Humans are also organised as a mass, not purely individual creatures. This makes us able to plan our actions as a species to a degree or in theory. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Ontarian1981 Â Â 10 #53 Posted June 8, 2019 On 06/06/2019 at 05:30, Padders said: The River Thames was once a dead, polluted river.. Look at it now, probably the cleanest river in Europe.. Just proves that mankind can solve problems, when it wants. Look closer to home and what the Rother and the Don were like when we were kids. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Ontarian1981   10 #54 Posted June 8, 2019 On 04/06/2019 at 15:38, Janus said: Quote: Human civilisation as we know it may have already entered its last decades, a worrying new report examining the likely future of our planet’s habitability warns.https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-global-warming-end-human-civilisation-research-a8943531.html Australian study eh.Wonder if Mac 33 was in on it.😋 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Car Boot   10 #55 Posted June 8, 2019 On 05/06/2019 at 10:07, alchresearch said: At school in the 70s I was taught that by the year 2000 there would be no oil left. I remember reading in the late '80s that by the year 2000 there would be no more woods or forests left in Europe due to acid rain.  I wonder how that turned out? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
altus   540 #56 Posted June 8, 2019 1 minute ago, Car Boot said: I remember reading in the late '80s that by the year 2000 there would be no more woods or forests left in Europe due to acid rain.  I wonder how that turned out? We stopped pumping out the pollutants that caused acid rain.  Are you going to make an ignorant comment about the ozone layer next? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
RootsBooster   24 #57 Posted June 8, 2019 On 05/06/2019 at 10:07, alchresearch said: At school in the 70s I was taught that by the year 2000 there would be no oil left. They probably calculated that based on fuel efficiency and consumption at the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Car Boot   10 #58 Posted June 8, 2019 I thought the rich kids who run 'Extinction Rebellion' told us we only had ten years left?  Now we have seventy? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
altus   540 #59 Posted June 8, 2019 25 minutes ago, RootsBooster said: They probably calculated that based on fuel efficiency and consumption at the time. Oil companies have developed technologies that allow them to get at previously unreachable deposits since then as well - not to mention exploiting tar sands, fracking and discovering new oil fields. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
hauxwell   244 #60 Posted June 8, 2019  I remember the late Stephen Hawkins saying  we must find a new planet in the next 200 years as earth is doomed.  Wish they would make their minds up how long we have got.  If that’s the case they need to start advertising for more astronauts to search the universe.   Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...