this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2024
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[–] [email protected] 92 points 9 months ago (2 children)

When growth is so inherent to your system that the opposite is "negative growth".

[–] RememberTheApollo_ 35 points 9 months ago

We built a system based on continuous growth and consumption. People freeze like deer in the headlights when it gets brought up that it isn’t sustainable and get offended that maybe we should try to make some changes to it.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 9 months ago (9 children)

Well, if you used the correct mathematical term, population decay, then you're gonna have a lot of rubes rioting about some conspiracy on how a population can't decompose or some shit.

Scientist had to change global warming to climate change when they realized some people can't look past the buzz words and learn something.

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[–] Bonesince1997 61 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 61 points 9 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 68 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (4 children)

The economic system built on infinite growth will also collapse and leave most of those people in inescapable cut throat poverty and starvation

[–] [email protected] 30 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

We won’t starve if we eat the rich. Once they are gone, we can build a new economic system.

[–] SlopppyEngineer 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

We'll be lucky if it goes that smooth. Usually the whole thing at least partially collapses, followed by is a few hundred years of dark age to sort things out and then rebuilding starts with a new system in place for another go.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (5 children)

Personally, I’m counting on Zephram Cochran flagging down some Vulcans to help us out. Rebuilding should take 100 years tops

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 9 months ago

Someone wants people to believe we need to grow... The environmental impact says otherwise.

[–] JustARaccoon 6 points 9 months ago

They won't care. The investors can't think past next quarter.

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[–] AA5B 20 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

Current difficulties caring for elderly will continue to get worse, as the population of working age people continues to shrink faster than the population of elderly

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[–] 00x0xx 5 points 9 months ago

Only bad for nations that are shrinking too fast, like some nordic nations and South Korea. But most other nations will benefit from the less population growth rate.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 9 months ago (5 children)

That's good. Infinitely growing populations aren't sustainable, and I don't know that there are any viable arguments for continued population growth.

[–] AA5B 14 points 9 months ago (11 children)

The problem is the word “significant”

We can all agree the population can’t continue to grow. We can also agree it probably needs to shrink, especially by the time this starts making a difference.

However, if it shrinks too rapidly, there’s a lot of potential disruption of society and economy. If it continues to shrink, it could be a serious problem for all of humanity.

We should make changes now to encourage more people to have kids. The goal should be a slow, controlled decrease, to level off, without major disruption

Personally, I like 6B as a good place to plateau. We’re probably already beyond the planet’s carrying capacity so need to be less than today. However a lot of the advancements in society (technology, space, medicine, science, innovation) really require a fairly large population. Establishing a number ought to be someone’s thesis, but in the meantime: 6B

[–] RagingRobot 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Maybe society needs to be disrupted. There is lots of room for improvements

[–] AA5B 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Maybe, but I think of disruption sort of like mutation. We all like to think it creates superhuman but most same actually negative , and reality is we get more improvements with continuous increments

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[–] cosmicrookie 29 points 9 months ago (3 children)

That's a good thing right?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

It will be very tough economically as fewer people will need to work to support those in retirement. Economic problems, in turn tend to lead to social unrest and a turn to extremist political positions and solutions.

But it should at least take some pressure off the planet. Maybe AI can pick up the slack. Time will tell.

[–] FlyingSquid 7 points 9 months ago

This is exactly why Japan is investing so much in robotics. They have a rapidly aging population without enough young people to replace them or care for them when they're too old to work.

They will probably eventually have to relax their immigration policies, but that will be a last resort for them.

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[–] scripthook 22 points 9 months ago (1 children)

kind of like ""Children of Men" but people just choosing not to have children. I see people my age in their 40's having only 1 or 2 children and people in their 30's just not deciding to have children at all.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

Luckily, it's still within our power to choose not to reproduce.

[–] Paragone 16 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Perfect example of Newspeak gaslighting.

"negative growth" instead of diminuition, population-recession, reduced population, or ANY proper rendition of the concept.

Nobody in mainstream media speaks plainly anymore, because .. money requires befuddlement instead of clear-understanding?

Or is there some/any other explanation??

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The researcher points out that births “will increasingly be concentrated in the areas of the world that are most vulnerable to climate change, resource scarcity, political instability, poverty and infant mortality.”

Well, this can only end well ...

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[–] MyDogLovesMe 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Lol. By then it will be done for us, unwillingly.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Good, let’s make that happen sooner.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Don't worry, this doesn't account for the people that will die, directly or indirectly, from climate change.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

Well that’s not where I was going with that, but you aren’t wrong..

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

Good, I can't wait!

[–] Usernamealreadyinuse 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Summary: The article from EL PAÍS discusses a study predicting a significant decline in the global population by 2100. Here's a summary:

Global Population Decline: The study, published in The Lancet by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, forecasts that by 2050, 155 out of 204 countries will have fertility rates too low to maintain their populations. By 2100, this will rise to 97% of countries.

Fertility Rate Drop: The fertility rate is plummeting worldwide. For instance, Spain's fertility rate decreased from 2.47 children per woman in 1950 to 1.26 in 2021, with projections of 1.23 in 2050 and 1.11 in 2100. This trend is mirrored globally, with France, Germany, and the European average also experiencing declines.

Economic and Social Impact: The study urges governments to prepare for the economic, health, environmental, and geopolitical challenges posed by an aging and shrinking population.

Regional Differences: While rich countries already face very low fertility rates, low-income regions start from higher rates. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, will see a significant increase in its share of global births, from 18% in 2021 to 35% in 2100.

Migration as a Temporary Solution: The authors suggest that international migration could temporarily address demographic imbalances, but as fertility decline is a universal phenomenon, it's not a long-term solution.

The article highlights the need for strategic planning to address the impending demographic shifts and their associated challenges¹.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

If capitalism continues unabated. This is far from certain.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Governments, along with the corporations who will struggle to find employees when this happens have all brought this upon themselves. Treating people like dogshit all the time doesn't pay off in the long run.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Negative population growth or negative economic growth? Huge difference.

[–] RGB3x3 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Both. Economies suffer when the populations cannot replenish workforces and when average age gets older and older.

You end up with too many people to support and not enough people to do the work.

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[–] Linkerbaan 6 points 9 months ago

Tiny people

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

By then, I’ll have done my part!

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