[Kyle]

Hypothetical questions:

Do we as a species have a duty to keep the worlds population at a reasonable level? (with regards to resources) and is there any way we can do it without restricting a persons right to have as many children as they want?

Is it irresponsible to have upwards of half a dozen children or is it none of anybody's business so long as they have a good upbringing?

[Verbal]

If parents have the financial and emotional might to support them, they can and should be allowed to have as many as they like.

[Kyle]

Even if it leads to a boon in population?

There is still plenty of room left, and theoretically there are enough resources, although they are not shared out in a fair way. I doubt we'll ever need to implement such measures, as nature has a way of kicking the s**t out of life when it needs to. Some new plague, or a different strain of an existing disease will cull huge parts of the world, and it will generally be in the poorer places with poor infrastructure.

Also, who sets the numbers for what reasonable population is? And who decides which people are allowed to have children or not? It's impossible to regulate.

[Kyle]

Those questions always get reeled out when people have to do something universally. Who gets to decide? Who implements it? Who has the right to dictate to others what we should do? Oh it's too much hassle let's forget about it.

Some people argue that at 10 billion the population will tail off, some people argue that even 10 billion people with a decent standard of living and access to resources will be too much.

[Verbal]

Originally Posted by Simple Minds

Even if it leads to a boon in population?

Yes. If what I just said was law then the world's population would already be half of what it is.

[smeagol]

ugly people and tossers should be banned from having kids that will be a good start lol

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by smeagol

ugly people and tossers should be banned from having kids that will be a good start lol

That's you ruled out then Smea

Spoiler:

JOKE,you're lovely really

[Niamh.]

I don't like the idea of it and hope that we never have to consider doing it.

[smudgie]

A sensible approach would be to try and encourage smaller families.

Just 200 years ago the population of Britain was a mere 9 million. Quite frightening to think what another 50 years even of the population rise will do to this little Island..

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by smudgie

A sensible approach would be to try and encourage smaller families.

Just 200 years ago the population of Britain was a mere 9 million. Quite frightening to think what another 50 years even of the population rise will do to this little Island..

Yes but on the otherhand the population of Ireland was over 8million before the famine in 1845, now it's less then 6 and a half million. I think Nature does have a way of controlling the population

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Yes but on the otherhand the population of Ireland was over 8million before the famine in 1845, now it's less then 6 and a half million. I think Nature does have a way of controlling the population

I wouldn't put the Irish potato famine disaster at the door of Nature rather put the blame for that one squarely on the shoulders of the British Government...!!!!!

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

I wouldn't put the Irish potato famine disaster at the door of Nature rather put the blame for that one squarely on the shoulders of the British Government...!!!!!

hhhmmm well, that's a discussion for another day I think

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by smudgie

A sensible approach would be to try and encourage smaller families.

Just 200 years ago the population of Britain was a mere 9 million. Quite frightening to think what another 50 years even of the population rise will do to this little Island..

I'm not sure how much that could have been avoided though, most of it is due to things like lower infant mortality, longer life expectancy, better medicine, technology, greater wealth etc. rather than family size

It's a difficult question and one I'd rather leave to the experts, I think there can be a lot of scaremongering about population increase which isn't always as big a danger as it's made out to be (talking generally in the world here now not the UK)

[sassysocks]

Originally Posted by smudgie

A sensible approach would be to try and encourage smaller families.

Just 200 years ago the population of Britain was a mere 9 million. Quite frightening to think what another 50 years even of the population rise will do to this little Island..

Just because people can afford large families does not make it moraly ok.

We can't really legislate it but such people should face similar stigma to those that have large families who can't afford it.

Well off people have the same responsibilty to the population as a whole as anyone else and should not be let off the hook simply because they have the finances to indulge themselves with little or no thought to the bigger picture.

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by sassysocks

Just because people can afford large families does not make it moraly ok.

We can't really legislate it but such people should face similar stigma to those that have large families who can't afford it.

Well off people have the same responsibilty to the population as a whole as anyone else and should not be let off the hook simply because they have the finances to indulge themselves with little or no thought to the bigger picture.

I totally agree with this.

[Niamh.]

Removed some posts, back on topic everyone.

[MTVN]

Surprises me that some people are happy to do it, what a waste of 9 months of your life

[arista]

Originally Posted by Simple Minds

Hypothetical questions:

Do we as a species have a duty to keep the worlds population at a reasonable level? (with regards to resources) and is there any way we can do it without restricting a persons right to have as many children as they want?

Is it irresponsible to have upwards of half a dozen children or is it none of anybody's business so long as they have a good upbringing?

you need to watch this Future film
from 1973

Couldn't you find a bigger picture, my green friend?

[arista]

Originally Posted by Jesus.

Couldn't you find a bigger picture, my green friend?

temp Glitch

[Vicky.]

Theres nothing you can do stop stop people having kids, besides forced sterilization or forced abortion. And I like to think we are civilized enough to not inflict that on people tbh

[arista]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Theres nothing you can do stop stop people having kids, besides forced sterilization or forced abortion. And I like to think we are civilized enough to not inflict that on people tbh

China does it
One child rule


Problem is they abort all girls


Only have boys.


Now not enough women to be married , with
on a Ch4 Docu' the other week

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by arista

China does it
One child rule


Problem is they abort all girls


Only have boys.

Yeah, that will work out well in the long run eh?

And yes, we should aspire to be like china, where babies are flushed down toilets after birth or left outside in a basket as the parents arent allowed them

[arista]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Yeah, that will work out well in the long run eh?

And yes, we should aspire to be like china, where babies are flushed down toilets after birth or left outside in a basket as the parents arent allowed them

Thats for Over populated China Only.