Sustainable Population - Mark O'Connor

Quentin Dempster of ABC 24 hour News interviews Mark O'Connor, co-author of Overloading Australia, about the facts buried beneath the population debate. What are the limits to global and Australian population growth? Mr O'Connor discusses the various myths used by "population boosters" to scare people into accepting high population grwoth, e.g. the ageing myth and the myth that population growth is necessary for economic prosperity. Solutions to these "problems" that rely on continuing rapid growth in population are likened to Ponzi schemes, which only work if you keep adding more "punters".

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Overpopulation;
• population;
• Overloading
• Australia;
• population
• myths;
• big
• Australian
• limits;
• carrying
• capacity;
• world
• growth;
• Ponzi
• schemes;
• ageing
• myth;
• limits
• to
• growth

[tgosling1]

Dear Robheusd

You are right that developing countries need to reach a decent level of economic growth as this will lead to lower birth rates. But African leaders don't agree - they see population growth as making them strong, and any suggestion from developed nations that they try to introduce family planning as a conspiracy, because countries like Australia are continuing to grow their populations. Australia should lead by example.

[esther19741974]

@io007a Well coming from Romania you would understand tyranny? Hay one of my greatest hero's is Romanian, his name is, "Dimitri duduman" youtube his name!

[io007a]

@esther19741974 hahaaa australians you are going to be comquerd by china they need resourses they can't do anything about russia so you are the only ones left in the region watch out ,i think it will be better for you to be conquerd by imigration but if you want war it's your choice ,i think with all historic hatred between china and india they will both agree that they need resources so a new alince can emerge from theese two.

[Mercmad]

@esther19741974 Indeed. Italy has such a low birth rate that many smaller towns and villages haven't had a live birth for years. A drive out to Bourke will wake a lot of folks up to the fact that this country is basically empty.

[laurahadleysmith1961]

The Stable Population Party have my vote too. We need to get rid of Gillard for a start, she is destroying this country. She is a big part of The New World Order, One World Government.

[Ragnar6000]

Population growth = defence for the aussieland......people who think we should not grow our population simply have there head stuck in the sand.

[zattaka]

@esther19741974 - another way of looking at this is that according to the Aust. Bureau of Statistics right now we have one birth every 1 minute and 45 seconds, one death every 3 minutes and 43 seconds. It's government interference that is artificially pushing up our own birth rates (via mechanisms such as the baby bonus). Many think it's the way of the world - whatever will be, will be - they simply do not realise (or care about) the manipulation that's going on and so sit complacent.

[zattaka]

Dear tgosling1, agreed Australia should lead by example. Yet, our businesses and government have worked hard to mislead the Australian public for decades. Australian births outweigh deaths considerably yet still Aust. Bus/Govt. seeks to push our numbers even though environmental markers continue to go backwards. Fortunately, there is an option now with Australia's emerging stable population party.

[esther19741974]

dont give me population explosion crap! Australia has a birth rate at 1.2% that means Australia just like most of the west is dying! the government brings in huge amounts of third world country's to Australia! to bring down our living standards and then tax us at a higher rate! the governments answer we need less not more! that means less service more taxes! just like they have done in the USA, with the Mexicans! Australia wake up! both parties are bought and paid for new world order thugs