'Hey Bill Nye, What's the Best Way to Handle Overpopulation?' #TuesdaysWithBill | Big Think

'Hey Bill Nye, What's the Best Way to Handle Overpopulation?'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The population is growing, says Bill Nye, but it’s important to note that the rate of growth is slowing down. Why? Because the more our societies educate girls, the fewer children they have once they’re women. The population will very likely rise to 9 or 10 billion people and the world does have enough resources to look after us all, provided we do three things to redistribute resources globally, not just in developed nations. We need to produce reliable renewable energy to get electricity to every individual on the planet. We need to use that clean energy to increase the quality of water sanitation systems in developing nations so we lose less time and lives combating diseases, time which children could better spend in school. We must continue to educate girls and women, as quickly as we can, which means providing access to the internet and other information resources, globally. It’s in our best interest; if women have more control over their lives and reproductive choices, the world’s resources become more ample for each individual. Bill Nye's most recent book is Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World.

Bill Nye's most recent book is Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BILL NYE:

Bill Nye, scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been doing most of his life.

In Seattle Nye began to combine his love of science with his flair for comedy, when he won the Steve Martin look-alike contest and developed dual careers as an engineer by day and a stand-up comic by night. Nye then quit his day engineering day job and made the transition to a night job as a comedy writer and performer on Seattle’s home-grown ensemble comedy show “Almost Live.” This is where “Bill Nye the Science Guy®” was born. The show appeared before Saturday Night Live and later on Comedy Central, originating at KING-TV, Seattle’s NBC affiliate.

While working on the Science Guy show, Nye won seven national Emmy Awards for writing, performing, and producing. The show won 18 Emmys in five years. In between creating the shows, he wrote five children’s books about science, including his latest title, “Bill Nye’s Great Big Book of Tiny Germs.”

Nye is the host of three currently-running television series. “The 100 Greatest Discoveries” airs on the Science Channel. “The Eyes of Nye” airs on PBS stations across the country.
Bill’s latest project is hosting a show on Planet Green called “Stuff Happens.” It’s about environmentally responsible choices that consumers can make as they go about their day and their shopping. Also, you’ll see Nye in his good-natured rivalry with his neighbor Ed Begley. They compete to see who can save the most energy and produce the smallest carbon footprint. Nye has 4,000 watts of solar power and a solar-boosted hot water system. There’s also the low water use garden and underground watering system. It’s fun for him; he’s an engineer with an energy conservation hobby.

Nye is currently the Executive Director of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest space interest organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIPT:

Martina: Hey Bill it's Martina from Slovakia. I'm studying medical chemistry and I have two questions to be answered. The first one is the question how would you probably solve the problem of still growing population? And the second question is very important is…

Bill Nye: Will I marry you? So Martina, I'll get to your second question at the end. A growing population is a problem, but notice that the rate that the human population is growing is slowing down and this is almost certainly not so much a consequence of finite resources, which is what people like Malfis speculated late in the 18th century, it's not a question of finite resources it's apparently raising the standard of living of women and girls, people like you. As women and girls get better educated they have fewer kids and the kids they do have have more resources so they're better taken care of and they are more successful...

[martinalawson]

Lol guys, Martina here. The marriage proposal was a JOKE. I did not expect him to take it seriously. :D Anyway thank you so much for answering my question! Keep changing the world, Bill.

[MichaelRoberts]

I would love to be turned down by Bill. His ''No' was so well put.

[forever.spooky]

"You'd want something else in just 15 minutes"

[firaszkamal]

I Love how he dignified the second question and didn't just brush it aside!

[deepashtray]

Just one little caveat you missed there, Bill; we're destroying the environment too.

[TGC]

"You would just want something else in 15 min." SHOTS

[LPArabia]

That's the best way to say no for a marriage proposal. I'll use that in my dreams.

[douglasnorthpole]

"Overpopulation" happened at around 2 billion people.

We are now over 7 billion, which is nearly 4 times "overpopulation".

[docteurshepherd]

LOL I love how flustered he was at the beginning, adorable

[OsvaldoPaese]

We need to make it easier and less expensive to adopt children.

[samuctrebla]

I think we should really include cultural/social paradigms when we discuss population.
And start by the simple fact that the existence of a global common interest is not shared by the vast majority of people. Individual, familial, tribal, national, racial or religious interests shape the world way more than the knowledge of being part of one unique species. And these interests are sometimes contradictory and lead to conflicts.

[Sweeneh]

"Carry on."
- Bill Nye rejecting a marriage proposal

[EPICPACKOPENINGSXD]

The world would be a way better place with a stable 1 billion people living on it

[markcarter]

You would just want something else in like 15 minutes

[MoreGrievances]

Bill is the reincarnation of President Lincoln.

[JonixEM]

Can we just all agree his answer to the second question was adorable?

[twistedstrength.]

Bill is 100% right. Education will lead to a higher standard of living as we develop technology to accomplish such. As it is getting easier and easier every day for the majority of Earth's population to access information, this problem will inevitably be alleviated in time. (discounting any political policies that may hinder the process.).

[devinelmrore]

"You would want something different in about 15 minutes"

He's got me beat ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[MoreAmerican]

She just wants citizenship bill! Don't do it!

[Markcgreer]

If Bill told you the harsh truth, he wouldn’t be a celebrity. He’s telling you what you want to hear. This planet is fucked.