How many people can comfortably live on our Earth without damaging it irreparably? The estimates range from 2 billion all the way up to 147 billion. The reason the variation is so large is because it all depends on how we use the products on our Earth. Say we use all petroleum and coal and try to have a population of 8 billion people, theres no way it’ll work. Now if we change that by switching our energy sources to renewables such as solar, wind and hydro we could have a population of 147 billion. However, I believe that a population of that size would be quite uncomfortable.
Not only is there the fact of global warming but also the space we have in which these people can comfortably live. Taking all the land in the world with a population of 147 billion, the amount of land each person would have is 1742.2 feet. That is not taking into account apartment buildings. In cities like New York and Boston they have apartments buildings the size of sky scrapers with thousands of people living in them. The other aspect that does not take into account is that not all land on Earth is usuable. Some land is too dry or to wet to be habitable for humans, unless we took drastic measures which would contribute to global climate change.
Population needs to be kept under control which would help keep global climate change under control as well. Earth has limited room and limited resources and we are pushing those limits, to continue will result in horrible consequences for its inhabitants. We must think about our actions now and stop reproducing at such alarming rates, yes, that means you, Duggar Family and Octo-mom.
World Population Counter
That is so interesting. I don't think many people think that it matters what we use for resources. I had only thought that we could fit a certain amount of people. It's nice to know that if we all work hard and change our ways we could actually accommodate more people.
ReplyDelete147 billion people can fit on our earth? That is unthinkable! Can switching to renewable energy be enough to support that amount of people? I feel like there wouldn't be enough resources such as food and even drinkable water. If you think about all the people that are starving right now, try multiplying our population by 25.
ReplyDeleteThats pretty cool. It is crazy on the difference of amounts of people each thing provides for. Like how petroleum and coal populate about 8 billion people and how solar, wind and hydro populate about 147 billion. This really goes to show that we need to change to better ways that way more people can be provided for.
ReplyDelete147 billion people on earth is absolutely ridiculous! There is no way we could safely grow enough food to sustain 147 billion people! We may be able to power things through hydro, but to live life comfortably, it doesn't sound very pleasant.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe our Earth would be able to hold 147 billion people! That is crazy! But I'm not sure how realistic that is even if we just use solar and wind or other renewable sources. It would be hard to convert everything just to renewable sources at this point because not enough people support them. But if we could get everyone to support them and that would help with our population problem that would be awesome. You said "Population needs to be kept under control," how do you suggest we do that?
ReplyDeleteI agree. But even if we did switch to only using renewable resources i don't think we should try and cram that many people on this planet. How would we be able to support 147 billion people when only 3% of the Earth's water is safe for drinking? Plus the fact that there would be a major land scarcity! I think that we really should switch to another form of energy but we should not try and fit more people on the planet.
ReplyDeleteGabby this is a shocker! Literally it is, petroleum and coal can provide for 8 billion, but then renewable sources can provide for 147 billion, BIG DIFFERENCE!!! We really should switch to renewable energy either way, one day the world will run out of its natural sources. Our population is rapidly growing, we need a change in the way we live.
ReplyDeleteOur population is already pretty uncomfortable, as others have said we have unthinkable amounts of people living in poverty without clean water and food. I don't think we could even reach 147 billion because to many people would die because of lack of food, and more people equals more waste (unless we can completely change our ways and be 100% earth-friendly) and thus way more pollution causing more and more diseases and the like.
ReplyDelete147 billion people is a little too much i think! If you think of how close things would get it would not be very nice. Everyone switching is a great idea but letting our population grow that much is just ignorant. It would be switching one problem for another.. not very smart.
ReplyDeleteBy using SmartGrid technology and replacing 20% of the energy source to windpower it would be equivalent to removing 42 coal fired plants away. This is the change we need to compensate for people reproducing so much.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole 19 kids and counting and Octo mom is bad, but I don't think anyone has the right to say you can only have to kids. Its hard for me to care so much about this issue when I have my own life to worry about. Is it really the time to save our planet?
ReplyDeleteIt's weird to think about what our world would be like with 147 billion people on it. That would be insane! We need to stop using oil and coal and switch to renewable energies as soon as we can. We also need to educate impoverished areas around the world and set up places like Family Planning so people can stop popping out so many kids!
ReplyDeleteI like how you related this topic to pop culture by referencing Octo mom and the Dugger family; it made the post more interesting and seem more real and relatable. Like Cody, I wonder how realistic it is to consider that our world could maintain a healthy standard of living for 147 billion people considering food and water. We only have a certain amount of water available to our world population. Currently we do not have enough to share with the world population, if that was extended to 47 billion, I'm sure it would only become less available.
ReplyDeleteGabby, I like how you tied the last chapter we read together with renewable sources. I completely agree with your whole argument, We've been saying it all along. That's amazing that we completely switched over that the earth could be the home to 147 billion. But there's no way I would ever want that.
ReplyDelete147 billion people is just bonkers, there is no way that many people could be fed everyday and live life comfortably. Like Brittany said, there is only so much food and water.
ReplyDeleteSince it's the last blog I decided I would respond to peoples comments with some added details. First question was how do I suggest we get population under control? I suggest education on family planning and birth control available for everyone, that includes third world nations. Many people stated that they don't believe there is enough water and food for 147 billion people. I am also skeptical to that but you also have to think of how much food we throw out. As it is with the food we throw out we could feed everyone in the world, we just don't. As for the water, I think it would include desalting ocean water.
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