http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12249909
A UK government-commissioned study into food security has called for urgent action to avert global hunger.
The Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures says the current system is unsustainable and will fail to end hunger unless radically redesigned.
It is the first study across a range of disciplines deemed to have put such fears on a firm analytical footing.
The report is the culmination of a two-year study, involving 400 experts from 35 countries.
According to the government's chief scientific adviser, Professor Sir John Beddington, the study provides compelling evidence for governments to act now.
The report emphasises changes to farming, to ensure that increasing yields does not come at the expense of sustainability and to provide incentives to the agricultural sector that address malnutrition.
It also recommends that the most resource-intensive types of food are curbed and that waste is minimised in food production.
"We know in the next 20 years the world population will increase to something like 8.3 billion people," he told BBC News.
"We know that urbanisation is going to be a driver and that something of the order of 65-70% of the world's population will be living in cities at that time.
"We know that the world is getting more prosperous and that the demand for basic commodities - food, water and energy - will be rising as that prosperity increases, increasing at the same time as the population."
He warned: "We have 20 years to arguably deliver something of the order of 40% more food; 30% more available fresh water and of the order of 50% more energy.
"We can't wait 20 years or 10 years indeed - this is really urgent."
Damn. Who was it that called this one?
I've heard it said in many places.
I have a lot of hope for hydroponic towers. There was a popsci article on those a while back.
Here: http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2007-07/skyscraper-farms
Surely it would be too much of a trouble to teach people not to have more than 1-2 children.
I've said it before...The world's carrying capacity is about 2 billion.
And even if we came up with all the food, water, and energy needed, all that would happen is that people would have MORE kids.
Cannibalism.
Mark my words.
People will be like,
"It's fucking crowded around here, and there's no food!"
And someone's face will say it all, and they will draw straws.
The water is the tough one--and it's REALLY easy to bring a people to heel or to revolt by simply limiting their water supply. Oy.
Quote from: Joh'Nyx on January 24, 2011, 08:12:52 PM
Surely it would be too much of a trouble to teach people not to have more than 1-2 children.
Reality called. It's pregnant.
Quote from: Charley Brown on January 24, 2011, 08:24:22 PM
Quote from: Joh'Nyx on January 24, 2011, 08:12:52 PM
Surely it would be too much of a trouble to teach people not to have more than 1-2 children.
Reality called. It's pregnant.
SOYLENT GREEN IST MEINSFLEISCH!!!!
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on January 24, 2011, 08:14:23 PM
I've said it before...The world's carrying capacity is about 2 billion.
And even if we came up with all the food, water, and energy needed, all that would happen is that people would have MORE kids.
Good thing this isn't an elevator then.
Quote from: Sigmatic on January 24, 2011, 07:47:46 PM
I've heard it said in many places.
I have a lot of hope for hydroponic towers. There was a popsci article on those a while back.
Here: http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2007-07/skyscraper-farms
Cool stuff aside from some things the farmer part of my brain twisted around.
Quote from: Charley Brown on January 24, 2011, 09:28:33 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on January 24, 2011, 08:14:23 PM
I've said it before...The world's carrying capacity is about 2 billion.
And even if we came up with all the food, water, and energy needed, all that would happen is that people would have MORE kids.
Good thing this isn't an elevator then.
Oh, but it is. And all the monkeys that are overcrowding it are jumping up and down.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on January 25, 2011, 12:16:26 AM
Quote from: Charley Brown on January 24, 2011, 09:28:33 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on January 24, 2011, 08:14:23 PM
I've said it before...The world's carrying capacity is about 2 billion.
And even if we came up with all the food, water, and energy needed, all that would happen is that people would have MORE kids.
Good thing this isn't an elevator then.
Oh, but it is. And all the monkeys that are overcrowding it are jumping up and down.
It's going to be fun ride down.
Quote from: ☄ · · · N E T · · · ☄ on January 25, 2011, 12:49:05 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on January 25, 2011, 12:16:26 AM
Quote from: Charley Brown on January 24, 2011, 09:28:33 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on January 24, 2011, 08:14:23 PM
I've said it before...The world's carrying capacity is about 2 billion.
And even if we came up with all the food, water, and energy needed, all that would happen is that people would have MORE kids.
Good thing this isn't an elevator then.
Oh, but it is. And all the monkeys that are overcrowding it are jumping up and down.
It's going to be fun ride down.
Elevators fall up. Yes they do.