Just too many people in America.

[dumpster56]

I remember when we hit 200,000,000 back in the 60s, now 300,000,000.

the roads are basically the same, areas are just too congested, heck that trip I did down 95 yesterday, oofah.

plus the infrastructure is well $hit, look at the railroads!! they look like the old soviet union.

Then there is the electrical grid, yes we all lose power all too quickly in bad weather.

Maybe those survivalist types in Idaho and montana got it right years ago when they went OFF the grid.

Cheers

 

[jeff2006]

Then there is the electrical grid, yes we all lose power all too quickly in bad weather.

Maybe those survivalist types in Idaho and montana got it right years ago when they went OFF the grid.

Cheers

We get our electricity from "Progress" Energy around here. Given the number of outages, seems to me we are already sort of off the grid.

 

[grumpy]

The problem isn't too many people in America, it is that too many of them want to live in the same places.

Grumpy

 

[dumpster56]

We get our electricity from "Progress" Energy around here. Given the number of outages, seems to me we are already sort of off the grid.

Yes but we are back on line quickly that nuke plant 15 miles from my place is owned by them!!

 

[TromboneAl]

nm

 

[d]

how many would be just about right?

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

not a problem. in fact, you can send some more down here. but only send the rich ones. i need someone to buy this house.

"A U.S. census report released Friday shows that the boom for the Sunshine State has slowed, with Florida growing only 1.8 percent in 2006 after back-to-back years of adding more than 2 percent to the population." ~~recent news article

http://tinyurl.com/yfvr2o

 

[TromboneAl]

how many would be just about right?

Depletion of soil, water, and fuel at a much faster rate than any of these can be replenished suggests that the carrying capacity of the United States already has been exceeded. David and Marcia Pimentel (1991) of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, take these three factors into account to estimate that, at a standard of living only slightly lower than is enjoyed today, the sustainable population size for the United States is less than half its present number. Beyond this, we abuse the carrying capacity and should expect sudden shocks that will massively drive down the standard of living. ...

To maintain a standard of living only slightly lower than we enjoy today, population size would need to decline to about 100 million people.

 

[REWahoo]

To maintain a standard of living only slightly lower than we enjoy today, population size would need to decline to about 100 million people.

OK, Al. You go first.

 

[Goonie]

To maintain a standard of living only slightly lower than we enjoy today, population size would need to decline to about 100 million people.

Alrighty then! Can I help pick out people that we're going to eliminate send to less populous countries, in order to get the head count down here in the USofA??

I can think of some! Hey, with all those Iraqis getting blasted off the planet by there own brethern, I'm sure they could use some replenishment!

 

[TromboneAl]

Where's the bird flu when you need it?

 

[Leonidas]

Depletion of soil, water, and fuel at a much faster rate than any of these can be replenished suggests that the carrying capacity of the United States already has been exceeded. David and Marcia Pimentel (1991) of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, take these three factors into account to estimate that, at a standard of living only slightly lower than is enjoyed today, the sustainable population size for the United States is less than half its present number. Beyond this, we abuse the carrying capacity and should expect sudden shocks that will massively drive down the standard of living. ...

To maintain a standard of living only slightly lower than we enjoy today, population size would need to decline to about 100 million people.

Well that's certainly an interesting viewpoint. The author herself, Virginia Abernethy, makes for interesting googling. Add the phrase, "white supremacist"* to get straight to it, or go to her Wiki entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Abernethy

*she prefers the term "seperatist"

 

[Lazarus]

Well, I read her article and decided that I am a separatist too. I want to keep myself separate from people like her.

 

[mountaintosea]

I live in So. Cal. talk about masses of humanity! I always take into consideration the traffic before I go anywhere around here. I heard that last year more people left California than moved here. Suits me fine. There is nonstop construction going on, even with the slow down in housing sales. We had dairies, vineyards, orange groves, you name it.....Now.... housing tracks...malls, box stores, they never end, concrete jungle nothing else.
So the question is where to move in retirement? Another state? Another country?

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

So the question is where to move in retirement? Another state? Another country?

the answer is to be happy with what you've got.

i went leaf peeping this year along the blue ridge parkway, an enjoyable & colorful mini-adventure but the mountain congestion surprised me. even hailing from fort lauderdale, the number of tourists in asheville & boone made me long for the relative calm of home. (i happened upon boone during a football game and could not even get into a restaurant.)

while we have way more cars in south florida then they have in the blue ridge mountains, we also have way more roads. one accident on those mountain roads (i ran into 3 during my week there) and you are stuck with no where to turn for hours.

at least at home there's usually a side road you can find which the tourists don't know about. as long as hertz doesn't rent to many cars with gps, local traffic should continue to flow even as population densifies.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Where's the bird flu when you need it?

Inshalla. Man soon come.

Alrighty then! Can I help pick out people that we're going to eliminate send to less populous countries, in order to get the head count down here in the USofA??

Don't rush me. It takes time to pack. 8)

 

[haha]

I just read the article. It is beyond me how anyone could doubt that humans like any other species have a range of preferred and maybe even necessary resources and conditions.

We will not recognize the world 25 years down the road, and IMO we will not likely judge it to be an overall improvement.

Ha

 

[mountaintosea]

Be happy with what I've got? Sounds nice but I respectfully disagree. Many people have moved here. So it is probably time for me to move out. I live in the local mountains. Mmmm... might keep this little ol' cabin of mine, travel and look around. Then make the leap if I decide to settle somewhere else. 8)

 

[jeff2006]

We will not recognize the world 25 years down the road, and IMO we will not likely judge it to be an overall improvement.

Ha

If this turns out to be correct (as it may well), it will have some interesting implications for retirement, and especially for Early Retirement. Looking back 25 years, things were not all that different than today. Looking ahead 25 years -- who knows? Non-linearities, discontinuities, etc. may be lurking. No way to tell. What do you think, HaHA?

 

[dumpster56]

If this turns out to be correct (as it may well), it will have some interesting implications for retirement, and especially for Early Retirement. Looking back 25 years, things were not all that different than today. Looking ahead 25 years -- who knows? Non-linearities, discontinuities, etc. may be lurking. No way to tell. What do you think, HaHA?

Hummm 25 years ago, I still had LPs, a record player, No Cable TV yet, no cell phones, a 9K new Jetta VW no computer, rented a house for 900 dollars a month, Whoa!!!

My new house payment today is 200 dollars a month and I OWN IT a brand new one with all the bells and whistles....

I was making 30K in 1982 I am gonna get 32K for doing nothing in 2007, yes not much has changed!

Kool!

Oh I was working 4 jobs at that time!!

 

[jeff2006]

I have a lot more money now too, but it's mainly because I'm older and have worked and saved for years. For most people, incomes have been pretty much flat (after inflation, adjusted for age).

To me, the rest of the stuff is pretty trivial -- my life is not all that different because I have CDs rather than LPs or cable rather than rabbit ears (cable was available 25 years ago, but I was too cheap to get it!). I had a Jetta too. It got me where I wanted to go, just like my car does today . . .

Personally (YMMV), I am worried about peak oil, global warming, overpopulation, impossible medical care costs, and things like that . . .

 

[dumpster56]

I have a lot more money now too, but it's mainly because I'm older and have worked and saved for years. For most people, incomes have been pretty much flat (after inflation, adjusted for age).

To me, the rest of the stuff is pretty trivial -- my life is not all that different because I have CDs rather than LPs or cable rather than rabbit ears (cable was available 25 years ago, but I was too cheap to get it!). I had a Jetta too. It got me where I wanted to go, just like my car does today . . .

Personally (YMMV), I am worried about peak oil, global warming, overpopulation, impossible medical care costs, and things like that . . .

Interesting I feel the same way!

That jetta was a trooper though, got me thru some big snowstorms in Jersey, front wheel drive a bit underpowered!!

Anyway this NC move seems to be a good one, I have gotten a part time coaching position in Cary for the spring and will sub in southern wake county starting next week on days I feel like it!

It really is all good!

 

[jeff2006]

Congrats on the coaching job in Cary. Good school -- you will have a good time, especially compared to Newark!

Yes -- the Jetta was a tough little bugger -- lasted me a long time. But underpowered, like you said (mine was a deisel).

 

[donheff]

To me, the rest of the stuff is pretty trivial -- my life is not all that different because I have CDs rather than LPs or cable rather than rabbit ears (cable was available 25 years ago, but I was too cheap to get it!). I had a Jetta too. It got me where I wanted to go, just like my car does today . . .

I agree with this. In many respects our lives are not much different than they were in the 50s. Just look at your house - same old beds, bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms. Sure there are some new novelties but the basics remain the same. I don't think the next 25 years will be so shattering that we won't recognize the place.

If Ray Kurzweill is right we are in for a big surprise when the singularity takes a two by four to our heads in a decade or two. But I'm not holding my breath.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

mesmerized by the population clock at the 1964 world's fair, i've advocated zero growth since i became a lazy environmentalist (young post-hippie; born too late--i would have made a good beatnik). however, i just got a new speakman showerhead and removed the water saver. anyone adding to population should continue with conservation measures and suffer less luxurious showering, having already made your bed.

if oceans really are rising between 3 & 20 ft within the next 100 years, then i don't see our generation being affected much other than becoming sad as we watch polar bears head towards extinction. could be a problem for the next generation towards the end of their life and if coastal cities start getting swamped your grandkids might have it difficult so you might want to consider them in your wills.

but as much as the observer might consider my view negative, i try to maintained optimism in the long run. so even after global warming shuts down the gulf stream so that a mini ice age brings about a temperature correction, humanity will find ways to survive. they might even invent something cooler than ipods.