Unhappy Earth Overshoot Day

[petrochemicals]

Further to the posts about earths population, global warming etc, today is "Earth overshoot Day". This is the day where one years worth of resources of Earth are used up in the callender year.

https://inews.co.uk/news/environmen...re-using-resources-comes-earlier-and-earlier/

[Thats the independant offshoot paper linked.]

It is calculated from UN data sets. In my opinion this is too much use anyway. Earth population should be around 2.5 billion, The americas probably have the population density at the right levels, as for the rest of us we are absolutely destroying the planet by shear weight of numbers, britian germany and france being some of the worst culprits.

 

[santaman2000]

I agree with most of your assessment. My only disagreement is where you say the America’s probably have the correct density levels. I believe we also are overpopulated.

 

[Corso]

Far too simplistic. Without taking habitable land into account population density data is meaningless

So too is the idea of individual Countries 'being responsible' particular where net migration is having more of an effect than anything else

The direct effect of net migration has increased the population by more than 250,000 people per year on average from 2004 to 2015; this is about 50,000 more people per year than natural change for the same period (Figure 4). In addition to the direct impact of migration on the size of the population, current and past international migration also has indirect effects on the size of the population as it changes the numbers of births and deaths in the UK

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...es/articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/mar2017

 

[Janne]

Each generation has its own scares. I remember that we Earth would go rapidly into an Ice Age. Also, i recall Nuclear Attack exercises we did in school.
I still do not understand how a wooden school desk would have saved my life in case the Russkies ( or NATO) dropped a bomb on my very peaceful town!

 

[Toddy]

Try growing up downwind from the nuclear sub base on the Clyde with the sure and certain knowledge that a bomb dropped there would pretty much wipe out the majority of the population since most of us live along the 'central belt'....and folks wonder why there were/are protests

I'm in agreement with Corso, it doesn't matter that our native population is slowly declining or staying stable, immigration keeps happening and it keeps the population high. I think that's true for any country that has a net appeal.

M

 

[GuestD]

Try growing up downwind from the nuclear sub base on the Clyde with the sure and certain knowledge that a bomb dropped there would pretty much wipe out the majority of the population since most of us live along the 'central belt'....and folks wonder why there were/are protests

I'm in agreement with Corso, it doesn't matter that our native population is slowly declining or staying stable, immigration keeps happening and it keeps the population high. I think that's true for any country that has a net appeal.

M

I remember being at school in the 1970's we all used to have to go to "recruitment drives" given by the armed forces in the assembly hall. Someone asked the navy man, after he'd told us about the wonderful nuclear deterrent, where was the safest place to stay in Scotland ? Killin was the answer, because of its topography.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=https://www.killinnews.co.uk/issues/issue002.pdf

Page 5 in the link. Lamb was still being restricted from being sold into the food chain from 1987 as a result of Chernobyl, and restrictions were still in place in 1991.

From 2000. Page 13.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.killinnews.co.uk/issues/issue057.pdf

Strange how these things stick in your memory.

 

[Toddy]

When Chernobyl blew Himself was a volunteer with the Civil Defence....a scientists think tank type thing, about how to deal with the civilian population post nuclear attack, what would be safe to eat and drink, etc.,....and suddenly I'm being bombarded with instructions about what my children could and could not eat or drink, and straight to school and straight home, no washing dried outdoors, kind of rules. No fresh milk, no yoghurt from fresh milk, no soft cheeses......it lasted for months. We're vegetarian, but no fresh salads or the like either.
It was hard enough to live so restricted where we lived, but how folks in rural areas managed with restrictions on animals, etc., for years, I don't know.

No wonder the folks down the Clyde said that if there were no nuclear sub base in the loch and missiles up Glen Fruin, then Scotland wouldn't be a target at all. We don't have the industry now. It was hard to concieve that the very rain carried the pollution so far though, and it still affected us even though the origin site wasn't nearby. I don't think there's any real escape from international pollution.

I mind those recruitment drives. The local regiments would send in their recruiters and the boys would all go off to listen to them, come back gung ho and full of anticipation of growing up and going and seeing the world. In those days they could take on 'apprentices' into the training regiments at fifteen. School leaving age was/is sixteen but the army was considered continuing education so it was okay. (Children can still apply at 15, but don't actually go until 16)
Fourteen or fifteen, and, "He's away to be a sodjer", there'd be hysterical outcries nowadays.

 

[Janne]

Considering the dense population in UK, UK was lucky to get hardly any fallout after Chernobyl. Longterm lucky.
I used to belong to a group of military personell that were considered ’high value’, being an officer then having a medical degree. Had to take Iodine tablets for several months.

For a short time, there was an idea floating in military circles that the release of the radioactive stuff was deliberate, a pre invasion measure.

The areas that got it bad, in Sweden and Norway, picking funghi, berries and other produce, is still not recommended as far as I know. Game and domesticated animals have to be checked before sale for consumption. Over a certain level of radiation - rejected and destroyed somehow.

There are no ways we can restrict the poplation growth.
Not without draconian measures, and I can not see any country adopting those.

The people that have more than two children, are to blame, it does not matter if they are Norwegian, Brittish or Indian.

I am very questionable about most of these doom and gloom predictions, but one fact is certain: the Earth will adopt, change and heal, and be a good place to be for whatever existing, old and new, species if life.
Humans will not be one of those I think.

 

[Corso]

Waste of time

Potassium iodide can provide protection for one organ from radiation due to one radionuclide. It can only provide protection for the thyroid gland from an intake of radioiodine. It doesn't have any value in protecting other organs of the body or in providing protection from radiation from other radioactive nuclides. For example, potassium iodide has no protective value from a "dirty bomb" or a dispersion of spent nuclear fuel.

The radionuclides released from the Chernobyl reactor that caused exposure of individuals were mainly iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137. Iodine-131 has a radioactive half-life of eight days.

I wouldn't take anything the MOD recommends, probably did more harm than good.

 

[Janne]

I am sure you are correct, but in a such occasion, most people tend to follow recommendations.
Maybe better to be safe and follow them than not?
Extra Iodine did no harm to us who had to take it, I hope!

Sweden was in a shock state, specially when reports started coming in about the amount of the fallout. At the end, media was muffled ( can be done in Sweden) and everybody calmed down.
Central Sweden, specially the area north of Gävle got a lot.
Not many prople reacted when the maximum Becquerel level in food was increased after the accident.
Now it is 1500 Bq/kilo in wild foods including reindeer meat
300 Bq/ kilo for other food.

Just after Chernobyl, deer, reindeer and moise had levels up to 50 000 Bq / kilo.
Wild meat used to be an important food sourcr in northern rural Sweden.
All of my army guys stemming from the north were eating own hunted meat all the time. Pork and beef were expensive luxury.


I just read that Prince Henry ( called Harry also) has declared he will have only maximum two children. As we all know, a man can say what he fancies in these matters, but the spouce has the final word!

 

[Janne]

When it comes to using the resources of Earth, consumerism must end.
Production of low quality goods and tat must end too.

 

[santaman2000]

......There are no ways we can restrict the poplation growth.
Not without draconian measures, and I can not see any country adopting those.

The people that have more than two children, are to blame, it does not matter if they are Norwegian, Brittish or Indian........

China adopted one of those methods. They limited families to no more than ONE child (I think they still do) with few exceptions. Yes, it began to reverse population growth but the unfortunate side effect is an aging population.

 

[Janne]

Several countries have the same, an agening population. Less than 2.1 children, better medical care are to blame.
Increased immigration of the ‘overflow’ youth could be the answer.
I think it eas an American researcher that said that a couple of decades ago.