Population Collapse Is A Bigger Problem Than Climate Change

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[maam-yjph]

So maybe it's time to have a difficult conversation about how our lifestyles/cultures etc. are unsustainable.

[kevinmurphy]

I don't get it. I can see how it could pose an economic problem, but how is it an existential risk. How does population decline = collapse? Why would it just continue declining indefinitely? Why would we not assume that it's part of a fluctuation?

[iantodoyle]

A managed reduction in population is not an issue. I am in the UK and would be happy to see a significant reduction in population density. Sure it poses challenges, and we can deal with the issues.

[jb]

I’m all for couples having children and building families. Problem today is there are far too many problems to bringing children into the world. 1) Couple lacking the necessary economic resources to raise a child; 2) Fear and risk that child be taken away by the state because parents don’t bow down or tow the ideological bent of an authoritarian minority; 3) Etc., etc., etc.

[mrgregw]

I don't understand the need to maintain a population of billions. The population was less than 3 billion in the 1950s. I don't understand how an extra 5 billion is necessary?

[donz]

8 billion and people are already at each other's throats. Just imagine what 10 B or more will do. Let it collapse so we can rebuild.

[Nihilism]

"Less people, less production"

"Less people, less need for production" ~ Confucius

[tcurrid]

I don't think the planet needs saving, but I drive in heavy commuter traffic so I pray every day for a meteor.

[NAVEENCHAURASIYAA]

What colour is your buggati - last surviving hooman

[Ziggy]

There was a study on fish and plastics in water. The hormones of the fish were messed up and each generation had fewer and fewer children until they all died out. I wonder if it's happening to humans too.

[carkawalakhatulistiwa]

we just have to have free housing, free child care, free education, free health services, paid maternity leave and paid parental leave, retirement at age 55 for women and taxes for the childless. allowing the Soviet Union to maintain its brith rate at 2.3

[CesarNostradamus-wjuq]

It wasn’t unforeseeable to me. I knew about this in the 90’s but nobody wanted to talk about it. I went to one of the most populous high schools in the country Stevenson in Lincolnshire, IL. They just finished the tech center and second school and Olympic size pool and cafeteria. I heard one of the math teachers tell my mom who worked there say in so many years the school will lose so many students that that they will have to close one building.

[james-louis]

How do we go from growth to collapse? Population would just slowly decline, wouldn't it? And why is the number of people right now the right number?

[ModernAdventures-wu]

History proves that life has ALWAYS been better with fewer people. There are soooo many problems in the world today that most people dont see it because they are part of the problem without even realizing it. Hopefully, the Georgia Guide Stones will come to fruition soon.

[alinastefana]

Seeing the comments of this channel’s followers I’d say population collapse is the best idea. We’re already in Idiocracy, so it can only get better if our species extincts.

[Mutton]

Population growth rate can be fixed very quickly once cultural change allows it to happen. However, destruction of culture and the family structure to pass on knowledge and morals can not be fixed easily, if ever. Just look at the culturally broken communities who have been that way for 100 years now.

[Sonofwill]

To most it’s a problem, to others it’s the plan!

[michaelgray]

Right now we can make an educated guess as to what the climate will be like in 30 years.

We absolutely know that we're absolutely fucked on a population level in 30 years.

[kristijan]

Oh no, who would have thought that capitalism with greedy corporations will ruin the environment for their own personal gain.

[Swisskies]

Chris - would you ever consider having a climate scientist on your channel? You've had a number of people who have a more "critical" stance on it but not anyone who is a real expert on the subject. I think we constantly get the narrative of "it's not that bad, other things are much worse" (within internet padcast spaces), but after reviewing the actual content of the literature I don't think this stance is tenable.