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[–] 92 points 2 years ago (2 children)

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

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  • [–] 61 points 2 years ago (3 children)
  • [–] 68 points 2 years 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

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  • [–] 30 points 2 years ago* (3 children)

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

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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.

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    [–] 61 points 2 years ago
    [–] 53 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 14 points 2 years 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

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  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago (1 child)

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

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    [–] 29 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    That's a good thing right?

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years 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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    [–] 22 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years 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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    [–] 13 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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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    [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Good, let’s make that happen sooner.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

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

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    Good, I can't wait!

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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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    [–] 7 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    If capitalism continues unabated. This is far from certain.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago

    Tiny people

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    By then, I’ll have done my part!

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Negative population growth or negative economic growth? Huge difference.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    This seems to assume that current trends will continue for the next 76 years, which seems like a generous assumption.

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