Do you ever get the feeling humanity is little more than a plague of locust?

[Neil]

With the amount of resources we are getting through, at an ever increasing rate, how long until we start running out? Metals, oils, elements? They're all being used and at some point they WILL run out... What then? My concern is we're ploughing head long with no consideration, and at some point when key resources start comnig to an end, we realise, but all too late. For example, let's say we have only 50 years of oil left (we're using more and more and more), where is the planet wide effort to over come this issue? Answer! There of course isn't one... And some of the efforts that are there such as bio-fuels make no sense at all so are just distracting us from a real solution! When it starts becoming an issue, eg: when oil starts getting hard and hard to find, and shorter and shorter in supply, it will be too late then to solve the problem. And you can bet given this scenario, countries could easily go to war over those remaining oil reserves!

[Craig]

I think we're destined to destroy ourselves one way or another. We've only been on the planet for a fraction of the time it's existed but because of mankind's unique way of thinking and evolving we'll probably be one of the shortest lived species to exist on the planet. I'm sure if our minds hadn't evolved past those of early homo sapiens we could probably exist indefinitely because we wouldn't have the needs to eat up the planets resources and wouldn't have the means to destroy the planet with nuclear weapons. I really don't think we'll go on forever, at least not on this planet, and if we do end up finding another habitable planet we'll end up cosuming it's resources and then looking for another one to move onto. So, yes, I would aliken humans to a plague of locusts, because if given the chance we'd probably become the 'devourer of worlds'. But, who knows, maybe we'll develop a way, naturally or through technology, to overcome these things which threaten to wipe out our existence.

[axlish]

As resources dry up, we'll convert to other materials until they dry up, and so on. If anything, the drying up of resources will speed up space exploration, as we'll need new sources for elements, as well as a place to dump our trash.

[Neil]

As resources dry up, we'll convert to other materials until they dry up, and so on. If anything, the drying up of resources will speed up space exploration, as we'll need new sources for elements, as well as a place to dump our trash. Let's hope you're right!

[Terran]

If anything, the drying up of resources will speed up space exploration, as we'll need new sources for elements, as well as a place to dump our trash. Only probelm with that is that as resources dry up space exploration becomes far more expensive, the economy becomes more squeezed and mounting such missions become less and less feasible.... The population of the planet is far too numerous...and the vast majority 99.999% of them only produce consumption (hell Im one of them).

[EvilNed]

I'm an optimist when it comes to this. But sure, it's kinda hard to look away from the fact that everything gets more expensive by the year.

[Neil]

Only probelm with that is that as resources dry up space exploration becomes far more expensive, the economy becomes more squeezed and mounting such missions become less and less feasible.... The population of the planet is far too numerous...and the vast majority 99.999% of them only produce consumption (hell Im one of them). Just imagine a world where a few % were dedicated to specific problems/tasks... eg: space exploration, or finding alternative fuels... Instead as at the moment a tiny fraction of a %!

[LoSTBoY]

All the f*cking time. Like my mate says, he could easily kill a human but could never kill another animal..they have done nothing wrong.

[Khardis]

With the amount of resources we are getting through, at an ever increasing rate, how long until we start running out? Metals, oils, elements? They're all being used and at some point they WILL run out... What then? My concern is we're ploughing head long with no consideration, and at some point when key resources start comnig to an end, we realise, but all too late. For example, let's say we have only 50 years of oil left (we're using more and more and more), where is the planet wide effort to over come this issue? Answer! There of course isn't one... And some of the efforts that are there such as bio-fuels make no sense at all so are just distracting us from a real solution! When it starts becoming an issue, eg: when oil starts getting hard and hard to find, and shorter and shorter in supply, it will be too late then to solve the problem. And you can bet given this scenario, countries could easily go to war over those remaining oil reserves! No I never thought that. I happen to love human kind and think that life is a wonderful and beautiful thing. In time we will figure out the situation and things will get better. 100 years from now people will be laughing at how we were worried about things like gas prices etc. Earth is a nice place, but its just cosmic soup, the important thing on this planet is human life, so if the planet has to take a back seat then so be it. I find people who think we need to stop breeding and stop evolving our civilization to be a bit moronic (not saying this about anyone here, just in general). We should do our best to be clean about the way we operate, but lets not destroy our lives because some rabble rousers want to pretend that the earth is going to explode because carbon is in the atmosphere (carbon has always been in the atmosphere). I think we're destined to destroy ourselves one way or another. We've only been on the planet for a fraction of the time it's existed but because of mankind's unique way of thinking and evolving we'll probably be one of the shortest lived species to exist on the planet. I'm sure if our minds hadn't evolved past those of early homo sapiens we could probably exist indefinitely because we wouldn't have the needs to eat up the planets resources and wouldn't have the means to destroy the planet with nuclear weapons. I really don't think we'll go on forever, at least not on this planet, and if we do end up finding another habitable planet we'll end up cosuming it's resources and then looking for another one to move onto. So, yes, I would aliken humans to a plague of locusts, because if given the chance we'd probably become the 'devourer of worlds'. But, who knows, maybe we'll develop a way, naturally or through technology, to overcome these things which threaten to wipe out our existence. We cannot destroy the planet. Thats a folly. Even if we set off every nuke and destroyed ourselves today life would prevail somewhere and the planet would in time replenish itself. Kind of like it did time and time again after being smashed into by comets and cosmic garbage from the universe. You know the moon was once a chunk of the earth right? Yeah when the earth was forming it collided with another body and it tore a huge chunk right out of the earth. The earth STILL formed into what we know it as today and that would have been on a magnitude that makes doomsday nukes look like a firecracker. Same with the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. Only probelm with that is that as resources dry up space exploration becomes far more expensive, the economy becomes more squeezed and mounting such missions become less and less feasible.... The population of the planet is far too numerous...and the vast majority 99.999% of them only produce consumption (hell Im one of them). The population isn't too numerous. Thats absurd. The entire population of earth could fit into Texas alone. I didn't believe this until recently... I went with my cousin on some ATVs up a mountain in the area we live in. I live in CT which is "overpopulated" for a state this size with this many people. Anyway we went up this mountain and I swear to god I could see for 100s of miles in every direction. Guess what I saw? Trees. TREES TREES AND MORE TREES! In CT! Here I was thinking there were no forests left in my state except for a few state forests, and there we were I could see the state capitol, one of our biggest cities next to it Manchester, as well as Bradley Airport, and 2 other medium sized cities . All separated by 100s of miles with 100s of miles of forest between each one. It was really kind of creepy to think that as far as we have come in this country we really are just like the settlers of old living in "little" communities surrounded by vegetation and untapped forest lands. And I live in CT, i must stress that, this is one of the smallest and most populated states in the USA, one of the oldest as well. Just imagine a world where a few % were dedicated to specific problems/tasks... eg: space exploration, or finding alternative fuels... Instead as at the moment a tiny fraction of a %! If it came to the point where it was time for mankind to leave Earth to colonize new planets for materials then I would think many of the problems we have now would take a back seat. Much like when the New World opened up for exploration to Europe. Their entire economies shifted towards exploration and exploitation of the new lands as opposed to maintaining what they had already. All the f*cking time. Like my mate says, he could easily kill a human but could never kill another animal..they have done nothing wrong. Your mate sounds like a moron. no offense, but thats a ridiculous statement.

[Terran]

The population isn't too numerous. Thats absurd. Your anecdotal evidence aside.... I tend to think its the exact opposite of absurd its a serious issue that is being mentioned in science related magazines (I wish I could find this article where it has a given resource and has a projected time frame where it will still be availible).... I wasn’t talking about the population being too numerous in the sense that there is not enough space for them to exist in...I was thinking too numerous in the sense that there is not enough resources on the planet to support a certain lifestyle. It would take more than five Earths to be able to sustain the world population if everyone consumed resources at the same rate as the United States. At least that is what the figure was at when I last heard about it. Oil ...Food...Metals...hell nearly all resources are growing more expensive as India and China industrialize and aspire to that lifestyle....

[Neil]

Your anecdotal evidence aside.... I tend to think its the exact opposite of absurd its a serious issue that is being mentioned in science related magazines (I wish I could find this article where it has a given resource and has a projected time frame where it will still be availible).... I wasn’t talking about the population being too numerous in the sense that there is not enough space for them to exist in...I was thinking too numerous in the sense that there is not enough resources on the planet to support a certain lifestyle. It would take more than five Earths to be able to sustain the world population if everyone consumed resources at the same rate as the United States. At least that is what the figure was at when I last heard about it. Oil ...Food...Metals...hell nearly all resources are growing more expensive as India and China industrialize and aspire to that lifestyle.... Indeed... Just imagine when a lot of the yet-to-develop world decides they want their gas guzzlers, air conditioners and Big Macs! And it is coming! I wouldn't be surprised if we (in the western world) are in for a bit of a shock over the coming 50 years as what we take for granted becomes so expensive we have trouble affording it... We in the UK rely heavily on Russian gas for example... What happens when more of this gas has to be diverted elsewhere? And the same goes world wide will petrol when those barrels of oil start being shipped elsewhere instead of into our cars!