Comments on: The New Malthusians http://austrolabe.com/2007/07/01/the-new-malthusians/ Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:17:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Amir http://austrolabe.com/2007/07/01/the-new-malthusians/comment-page-1/#comment-33848 Amir Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:10:33 +0000 http://austrolabe.com/2007/07/01/the-new-malthusians/#comment-33848 Population growth may cause an increase in demand for certain resources, such as property or food, but then availability is a function of both supply and demand. If there is a population driven growth in demand for something, one must ask the question why hasn't the supply increased to meet it? I don't think the problem is really population growth, so much as it is on the other side of the equation. High property prices in cities, for example, may be driven by higher demand but, at the same time, the supply may be constrained due to planning laws and the like that prevent people from building high density housing or new developments to meet that demand. Population growth may cause an increase in demand for certain resources, such as property or food, but then availability is a function of both supply and demand. If there is a population driven growth in demand for something, one must ask the question why hasn’t the supply increased to meet it?

I don’t think the problem is really population growth, so much as it is on the other side of the equation. High property prices in cities, for example, may be driven by higher demand but, at the same time, the supply may be constrained due to planning laws and the like that prevent people from building high density housing or new developments to meet that demand.

]]> By: Cinna http://austrolabe.com/2007/07/01/the-new-malthusians/comment-page-1/#comment-33786 Cinna Sun, 01 Jul 2007 14:31:53 +0000 http://austrolabe.com/2007/07/01/the-new-malthusians/#comment-33786 The motives of the neo-Malthusians may be dubious but that doesn't mean that population pressure isn't a very real issue. It isn't just a matter of CO2 emissions- although the average first-world motorist is probably ten times as ecologically expensive as any third world peasant. The steady increase in human population means that there will be control by starvation sooner or later. Ethiopia, for example, is expected to more than double its population- from 77 million to 159 million by 2050. It is already suffering from deforestation and salinisation and depends on aid for much of its food. Certainly hurricane Katrina (possibly connected to global warming caused by increased CO2 emissions) and House prices in London (caused by the increse in the number of people- especially rich people- who want to own property in London) can be connected to population growth and terrorism could well be connected. Population growth causes a surplus of people with no employment and Satan, they say, finds work for idle hands; especially in a culture which flaunts pictures of unimaginable wealth and luxury via TV screens around the world. The motives of the neo-Malthusians may be dubious but that doesn’t mean that population pressure isn’t a very real issue.
It isn’t just a matter of CO2 emissions- although the average first-world motorist is probably ten times as ecologically expensive as any third world peasant. The steady increase in human population means that there will be control by starvation sooner or later. Ethiopia, for example, is expected to more than double its population- from 77 million to 159 million by 2050. It is already suffering from deforestation and salinisation and depends on aid for much of its food.
Certainly hurricane Katrina (possibly connected to global warming caused by increased CO2 emissions) and House prices in London (caused by the increse in the number of people- especially rich people- who want to own property in London) can be connected to population growth and terrorism could well be connected. Population growth causes a surplus of people with no employment and Satan, they say, finds work for idle hands; especially in a culture which flaunts pictures of unimaginable wealth and luxury via TV screens around the world.

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