Environment-Population

Deforestation and world population sustainability: a quantitative analysis

| Nature May 20 2020 Open Access Published: 06 May 2020 Mauro Bologna & Gerardo Aquino

Based on the current resource consumption rates and best estimate of technological rate growth our study shows that we have very low probability, less than 10% in most optimistic estimate, to survive without facing a catastrophic collapse.
In the last few decades, the debate on climate change has assumed global importance with consequences on national and global policies. Many factors due to human activity are considered as possible responsible of the observed changes: among these water and air contamination (mostly greenhouse effect) and deforestation are the mostly cited. While the extent of human contribution to the greenhouse effect and temperature changes is still a matter of discussion, the deforestation is an undeniable fact. Indeed before the development of human civilisations, our planet was covered by 60 million square kilometres of forest1. As a result of deforestation, less than 40 million square kilometres currently remain2. In this paper, we focus on the consequence of indiscriminate deforestation.

Yes, the Climate Crisis May Wipe out Six Billion People

<embed>https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2019/09/18/Climate-Crisis-Wipe-Out/</embed> The Tyee 9/18/2019

Hypothesis: Homo sapiens are currently approaching the peak of the plague phase of a one-off global population cycle and will crash because of depleted resources, habitat deterioration and psycho-social feedback, including possible war over remaining ‘assets,’ sometime in this century. (“But wait,” I hear you protest. “Humans are not just any other species. We’re smarter; we can plan ahead; we just won’t let this happen!” Perhaps, but what is the evidence so far that our leaders even recognize the problem?)

The first thing to take from this analysis is that we are once again playing in Roger Hallam’s death-toll ballpark. But a more important point is that climate change is not the only existential threat confronting modern society. Indeed, we could initiate any number of conversations that end with the self-induced implosion of civilization and the loss of 50 per cent or even 90 per cent of humanity.

Battle with time: Italian towns face demise by depopulation

<embed>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/12/battle-with-time-italian-towns-face-demise-by-depopulation</embed> The Guardian 7/12/2019

For the first time in 90 years the Italian population has fallen to about 55 million, according to the national statistics agency (ISTAT). From 2014 to 2018, the population decreased by 677,000 people.

Two factors are behind the decline according to experts: a decrease in births, which is at an all-time low since the unification of Italy, and an increase in the emigration of young people to other European countries in search of job opportunities. According to ISTAT nearly 157,000 people left the country in 2018.