Big Think

Neal Kerrigan commented on Has the humans species reached it's carrying capacity? on February 23, 2008, 11:46 PM

to further add to the math 20 percent of the population of the earth consumes 80 percent of the consumed resources of the human race. Also is you calculate the doubling rate of our species, you will realize that it can be measured in decades. Keep in mind that the population can rise above carrying capacity for a few decades before the supplies start running low but the rate at which the resources replenish will sharply drop after the capacity is reached to a point where they won't be able to recover. At that point, the species will start to die off.

Neal Kerrigan commented on Has the humans species reached it's carrying capacity? on February 23, 2008, 11:14 PM

I've seen different numbers for the carrying capacity.2.3 Billion if we all live like Americans Around 8 billion as is12.8 if we live like famished like those in lesser African countriesWe are currently at somewhere between 6.3-6.7 Billion. We were well under a billion three hundred years ago. Do the math whether the magic number is 8 or 10, they both may be reached in the next 100-200 years. This talk is serious, and of an immediate attention.

Neal Kerrigan commented on Re: What should we do to reduce our impact on the environment? on February 23, 2008, 10:43 PM

They have good ideas, but why do they have a professor of law (okay environmental law maybe credible) and medicine (don't see the connection) talking? I'd think they'd have the better experts that have done research on the matter.

Neal Kerrigan commented on How can people rationally deny man-made global climate change? on February 23, 2008, 10:27 PM

I am one of those skeptics because though I believe human induced climate change is real, I question how much of it we are causing, and what are the true indicators of it. This is actually a very scientific stance to hold because in asking these types of skeptical questions it will help me understand the situation better than taking it as is. Remember we are talking about various complex systems that interact, and humans are capable of interrupting or enhancing these processes. A common misconception put out is that ice caps melting cause significant sealevel rise. The more important issue is the ice caps melting releases cold fresh water into ocean which in turn disrupts thermohaline circulation of the ocean. Another less thought of idea is that rising temperatures and CO2 emissions could cause an Ice Age depending on whether the feedback system is positive or negative.Being skeptical in pursuit of the goal is actually good science, while being skeptical out of pure laziness is stupidity. Believing blindly in human induced climate change without putting thought into it is also stupidity.

Neal Kerrigan commented on Re: How does environmentalism play into the animal rights movement? on February 23, 2008, 10:00 PM

I know plenty of meat eating environmentalists. They go hunting in their back yards for white tailed deer that overpopulate the area. These deer overgrazed the native plant populations. The hunters then eat the meat that they hunt and properly dispose of the other remains in an environmental fashion. This in turn saves fuel costs of transportation of the meat that they would otherwise be eating had they not shot Bambi.