Feb 06, 2014 Overpopulation is a real thing
As technology and medicine continue to improve, so does the average human life span. Healthier humans equals an increased number of humans that are alive at any given time. This means more food, more energy, and more resources that need to be manufactured and consumed. Eventually, this rate will begin to grow at an exponential rate and theoretically deplete all of our usable resources.
David Suzuki attempts to explain this concept of overpopulation and the implications is has on our world using a test tube analogy. Its quite frightening to hear it broken down so easily, but it really does make sense. Not necessarily from a physical space standpoint but from a pure resources standpoint.
Elon Musk is famous for saying that one of the main reasons (if not the only one) he started SpaceX and space exploration (along with several other billionaires) is because he is 100% convinced that the human race will eventually screw up this graceful planet one way or another…and I’m inclined to agree with him. There are all sorts of “problems” that startups are trying to solve on a daily basis, but there is no greater “problem” than that of a depleted planet. So, maybe we should begin to encourage more start-ups to think beyond just the elusive IPO (cash) dream and think about how they can truly contribute to mankind. Imagine the ideas that would pour in…