Dick Smith's Population Puzzle Preview

"We're undertaking an unplanned social experiment that is literally changing our way of life" says Dick. What he discovered was that for most Australians, population growth was most likely means a lower standard of living. And despite the pressure it's placing on our infrastructure and environment, no one really has a plan to deal with the massive increase in population we've been experiencing in recent years.

"This is the most important issue I have ever undertaken in my life," says Dick. "I won't rest until we have a proper plan in place that informs Australians just how many people we can sustainably support in this country."

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• Dick Smith
• population
• population growth

[adamkow3166]

Dick Smith is on the ball as always. Should start up a political party, DS for PM, we need a real thinker for PM not the puppets we have now.

[videowilliams]

@adamkow3166 Though he didn't start it, Dick has helped and said nice things about the Stable Population Party (Senate Group T) who are running this year.

[krayzie1234567]

Hi dont panic this is not spam ,I am a school kid & as such the topics you raise are always bieng debated at school .Most of us are migrants too, or the kids of migrants. It should be a bit less depressing though Dick we need positive alternatives as well as the cold facts.Have a look at the work of ,Jerry Brunetti,Hugh Lovel, Dan Skow Dr Phillip Callahan,Graeme Sait ,Joel Salatin.You would fit right in here Dick with your great foods & visionary ideas

[krayzie1234567]

You are right on the money once again Dick , when oh when will they take notice ! Keep up the fight on our behalf , we & the useless polititions in this country wont get it until its too late, then we will band together & blame the farmers or some poor smuck..Keep belting out the common sense & dont give up whatever the ignorant plebs throw at you .Good on you mate!!!!

[cabgt]

Over 100 years ago people like Dick Smith were fear mongering about the world not being able to support more people. 5 billion people later.....The world and Australia especially, is far from being overpopulated.

[cabgt]

@KG84C The free market comes up with alternatives and is far better/more efficient than any central planning authority, ie government, at providing "alternatives." History and economic theory proves this to be the case. It is due to a lack of free markets that sustainability becomes an issue. Humans intellectual and creative capacity is not finite, thus we continue to create new technologies solving problems. One day we will be exploring other planets. After all, the sun is going to burn-out!

[jgribhamnz]

population crisis? please. advances in technology will easily allow the planet to support double/triple what our current population is. Even a nation like Australia, lacking in water, will easily support 35 million. Has the ghost of Thomas Robert Malthus come back to haunt us? I hope not..

[Osborne337]

Great work Dick Smith for finally raising this issue which always seems taboo - no doubt because whoever does will be labelled racist or inhuman. Dick Smith's population crisis should be essential reading, endorses a policy to actually increase refugees to australia, opposite of racism I would have thought and what is inhuman about protecting a standard of living especially of future generations. Dick for PM.

[kiwiiisland]

However, Id like to point out, that 50% of what we do is influenced by consensus. Having lived through one recession, I realised that even the act of saving is no different. Suddenly, its ok to live cheaply cos everybodys doing it.

Even if everything falls apart, most people can still find their own kind of happiness.

There will be period of chaos and peace will be hard to find. If you are strong and you stick around long enough, youll end up on the better side of the table.

Thus, be strong.

[kiwiiisland]

Its the nature of human being and its relationship with their perceived happiness - growth. People want excitement, no just borderline blissfulness - more. Theres not much you can do. Its how we were created. You can pull a break on yourself, but not the rest of the world.

Grow and save. Thats what we Australian should do (Save as much uranium as you can, too.)

The present Dick is a communist. Its ok for his family cos hes already rich.

[XxYoruguaxX]

"I WANT *YOU* AS OUR NEXT PRIME MINISTER" GO FOR IT MR SMITH...U R THE BEST!!!

[siener]

@NASAvsPETE Solutions are much better than all the prophecies of doom, but it's also not helpful to pretend that there aren't any problems. Fresh water is only one of Australia's problems. Very poor topsoil that doesn't get naturally renewed is another big one and so is soil salinity.

I very much disagree with Dick's (if not racist then definitely xenophobic) solutions. I'm also against draconian measures like China's one child policy. Education and empowerment of women is the answer