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The biology of overpopulation
Topic Started: May 30 2010, 12:56 AM (25 Views)
blaked
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"Been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding - the cretins cloning and feeding, and I don't even own a TV." - 90's song lyrics (Flagpole Sitter)
"Charlie didn't get much USO (entertainment). He was dug in too deep, or movin' too fast. His idea of a great R&R was cold rice and a little rat meat. He had only two ways home: death or victory." - Apocalypse Now

The most cursory glance at population statistics reveals that poor and Islamic countries account for most of the world's overpopulation.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_pop_gro_ann-people-population-growth-annual
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fertility_rate_world_map_2.png

Common wisdom holds that people from poorer countries have reaped the rewards of things like vaccination and higher crop yields but lack the education to understand the perils of having too many children. In fact, many animals (like lions) have a very limited number of offspring and take a special effort in ensuring their survival. Other animals have thousands of offspring and see very few survive, like mosquitos or small rodents.

The associated notion in biology is that of r/K selection theory:

r-selection (unstable environments)
In unstable or unpredictable environments, r-selection predominates as the ability to reproduce quickly is crucial. There is little advantage in adaptations that permit successful competition with other organisms, because the environment is likely to change again. Traits that are thought to be characteristic of r-selection include: high fecundity, small body size, early maturity onset, short generation time, and the ability to disperse offspring widely.

K-selection (stable environments)
In stable or predictable environments, K-selection predominates as the ability to compete successfully for limited resources is crucial and populations of K-selected organisms typically are very constant and close to the maximum that the environment can bear (unlike r-selected populations, where population sizes can change much more rapidly).
Traits that are thought to be characteristic of K-selection include: large body size, long life expectancy, and the production of fewer offspring that require extensive parental care until they mature. Organisms whose life history is subject to K-selection are often referred to as K-strategists or K-selected. (Wikipedia)

If we assume a higher standard of living to be necessary for reproduction (i.e. a couple will not have children unless they have a stable residence and income), it's easy to see why countries where steady full-time employment is less scarce than it once was are experiencing lower birth rates (1.3 in Italy and Germany, 1.2 in Ukraine). This assumption, unfortunately, is not universal. In nature, animals breed up to the point where they have reached the carrying capacity of the environment. Unchecked migration from poorer countries and competition with their labor markets ensures that the population will continue to expand until mere survival becomes a struggle. Countries in the developed world have nothing to fear from each other and should be able to migrate freely.

Wholesome Islamic families like this one:
http://iona.ghandchi.com/binladen.jpg
Will continue to expand as fast as they possibly can.

At times I wish the developed world - Europe, Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea - literally was on another planet from the third world. Wouldn't it be paradise?
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