Re: Overpopulation?

We would lose a lot more than protein if we said goodbye to farm animals, they give us a lot of things really including the green and pleasant landscape our country enjoys. Some breeds are the only things can exist in some areas like mountain sides etc, you can't grow crops on mountains or salt flats etc but they can be used for sheep and goats etc.

Re: Overpopulation?

That might be true - or it might not.
I'd like to see some evidence. Or at least a couple of links to authoritative sources.
as above
Can't help the feeling that MKJ is something of a vegie-evangelist with all this.
And that passion is perfectly fine.

But I'll go for a bloody big steak over a hunk of Tofu every time !
As mankind has been doing since the dawn of time.

Re: Overpopulation?

To be honest I don’t think it matters what we eat, the Earth has it’s own defences against being overpopulated with any species including us. I think of the Earth as one enormous natural garden with all kinds of everything growing in it, we grow in it, flourish and die in it, then the Earth gobbles us up and we grow again. If the garden gets out of control and one species starts becoming dominant by taking over the whole garden they are weeded down to manageable size, all done the way Earth has being doing it since the beginning, by disease, wars and natural disasters, so I wouldn’t worry about over population. I remember reading an article back in the 1960's saying the Rats would take over the World at the rate they were increasing then, frightening stuff, but I think now there are the same amount of Rats per human as there was at the time of Christ.
The best thing to do is eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you could be more grub for Mother Earth.

Re: Overpopulation?

I'm with MKJ on this topic. I think that we could cut meat production by half and make much better use of resources.
The other thing we need to do and we can all do it is reduce food waste, in the UK a third of all food is wasted.
That is the same as throwing a third of your food shopping in the bin as soon as you buy it.

Re: Overpopulation?

This seems partly a thread about vegetarianism, so a few comments about that.

In a developed society like ours, there can be choice not to eat meat or its products but generally, I don't think humans will change from being omnivores. Throughout evolution, we had to nourish ourselves with whatever food presented itself and that was found suitable. Taking food where it can be found has always had to be the way. We're designed to do that and is part of what we are. I mean, try telling an Eskimo not eat fish or seal meat.

It is sad that animals die in order to feed us and my only rule is not to waste meat. An animal died so I could live and it seems a dreadful waste of life if any of it ends up in the bin.

I realise health problems can be put down to eating excessive quantities of meat. Maybe that's true and a balanced diet of meat, vegetables and fruit seems most sensible. However, it also seems that people can become ill and/or die young no matter what they eat. No sort of diet leads to living forever as far as I know.

I have always eaten a 'balanced diet' and taken plenty of exercise. I've reached 70 doing that. I may or may not be alive this time next year. If not, I don't think my death could be put down to eating meat.

Re: Overpopulation?

I eat very little meat and wouldn't miss it if I never ate meat again but I would miss dairy products. We need animals to keep the land fertile in order to grow vegetable crops.

I don't think the answer to overpopulation is in what we eat.the answer is in birth control .
A man who had escaped in one of the refugee boats (I think he came from Libya ) was being interviewed on the radio yesterday, he alone had left behind 15 children.

This kind of over production of human is just unjustifiable when they can't be supported and have little chance of a happy fulfilled life even if they do manage to get enough food to eat. Many will only know a life of hardship.

Re: Overpopulation?

I do appreciate that some might not have seen or heard of this before but it is not new.

You quote: -

Germany has dropped below Japan to have not just the lowest birth rate across Europe but also globally, according to the report by Germany-based analysts.
Its authors warned of the effects of a shrinking working-age population.

In 1968 Paul and Anne Ehrlich wrote a book called The Population Bomb.

It warned of the strong possibility of mass starvation of humans due to overpopulation, as well as other major societal upheavals.

It became a best-seller - I read it back in 1970.

It was also widely criticised for being alarmist and later, inaccurate in its predictions, much like so much research that often tends to be more than a little optimistic.

The world's government have known about this problem since the 1950s yet very little has actually been done to date and some are actually saying that we are feeling the effects of this now. stevmk2

Re: Overpopulation?

Can't say I agree with that. The answer is in education. Once a person is sufficiently educated they no longer follow doctrines blindly without questioning their validity.

It is very apparent religion has no place in this world now (a doctrine or where people are indoctrinated). You only have to see the replies on this forum once religion rears it's garbled head: the threads go to nonsensical pot. I throw religion in to this argument as I equate such beliefs as being educationally ignorant and also with some religions they do not practice birth control.

Once a person is educated to a certain degree they make their own mind up on anything and everything to do with them. This spills over to childbirth as they realise they can't afford them - can't feed them - can't care for them in the manner they should be. On top of that women form their own careers and many decide not to have any children at all or only 1 or 2. It is all about education and breaking free from the shackles of ignorance.

The proof is there in my first post.

I'm on form lately . Being sober has it's uses.

Re: Overpopulation?

That's all very well in theory Mark but not in practice . While I agree with you about religion (though it is a matter of personal choice if people wish to have a belief or not) that is not the whole picture .
In countries where there are high mortality rates it is customary to have a large number of children to provide for their elders in case some do not survive.
It would take many generations to dispel old religions and beliefs and you could never force people to do it.

Re: Overpopulation?

...Mark a number of countries do not have land capable of food production and for some people their whole existence is based on tending a few animals.
What are you going to do, give these people a bag of grain to eat and take away the self respect and dignity which comes from providing for themselves.