Biofuels

[GreenLabel]

As long as there are too many people in the world.

Too many people means that there is no solution to shortages. Use biofuels instead of conventional, and you cause other problems, including shortage of food. Eat more fish and the seas are emptied. Grow intensively, and biodiversity is reduced, disease increased, and risk of famine increased.

Too many people. Few will face it but that is the real problem.

Nonsense. Through efficient use of existing farmland and the cultivation of a lot more, we could easily sustain a population several times greater than what the world has now.

[Ignis Fatuus]

Nonsense. Through efficient use of existing farmland and the cultivation of a lot more, we could easily sustain a population several times greater than what the world has now.

Pardon me for being pedantic, but although you may disagree with what I say, it is not nonsense.

We could support a greater population than we do now, at the same level of prosperity and at current levels of resource depletion, but ISTM that both of these are already unsatisfactory.

But whatever levels of nutrition and resource usage we take as a benchmark, Mr Malthus will get us sooner or later. Sooner I think. Actually already IMHO.

[Paddy]

Pardon me for being pedantic, but although you may disagree with what I say, it is not nonsense.

We could support a greater population than we do now, at the same level of prosperity and at current levels of resource depletion, but ISTM that both of these are already unsatisfactory.

But whatever levels of nutrition and resource usage we take as a benchmark, Mr Malthus will get us sooner or later. Sooner I think. Actually already IMHO.

Holland produces more food that all of Africa.

[TimberWolf]

Holland produces more food that all of Africa.

Africa has the same land area as the moon. Oops, wrong thread.

[Mich the Tester]

Anyone needing biogas can come and collect it free at my desk for the next few hours.

[xoggoth]

Too many people. Few will face it but that is the real problem.

Indeed. There are leads and lags as in every real life relationship but the smoothed demand for anything man uses is proportional to numbers of people.

[xoggoth]

Through efficient use of existing farmland and the cultivation of a lot more, we could easily sustain a population several times greater than what the world has now

There's that could word again. We "could" do all sorts of things but in practice what are the chances of agreeing on the solution, getting it right and not hitting yet another downside?

[GreenLabel]

There's that could word again. We "could" do all sorts of things but in practice what are the chances of agreeing on the solution, getting it right and not hitting yet another downside?

Which doesn't mean that it isn't possible - the Earth has the capacity, and we have the ability.

[SupremeSpod]

Which doesn't mean that it isn't possible - the Earth has the capacity, and we have the ability.

Where's the motivation?

[GreenLabel]

Where's the motivation?

I don't really care. The point I'm making is that it's possible.