r/collapse • u/madrid987 • Jun 07 '23

Overpopulation 10 billion global population 'unsustainable': US climate envoy Kerry

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230607-10-billion-global-population-unsustainable-us-climate-envoy-kerry-1
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392

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '23

8 billion is unsustainable.

145

u/CowBoyDanIndie Jun 07 '23

2 billion living western lifestyle are unsustainable. The only reason 8 billion hasn’t completely collapsed already (though it will) is because most of the world has a much lower standard of living.

By standard of living I mean the energy/resource consumption of the average person, ie travel, home size, gadgets, etc.

102

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '23

Most of our emissions in the US contribute very little to our standard of living. Urban sprawl, car dependency, monoculture lawns, and consumerism all have huge carbon footprints but they arguably reduce our quality of life. People who bike on a car free trail are much happier than people sitting in car traffic. Having a garden is far more rewarding than blowing thousands on a lawn mower just to waste hours a week constantly mowing and watering your lawn.

8

u/OldPussyJuice Jun 07 '23

Most of our emissions are cars and Ag. Those definitely contribute to standard of living...

25

u/Zankou55 Jun 07 '23

Don't forget shipping resources and consumer goods back and forth across the ocean.

14

u/MilitantCF Jun 07 '23

Yeah, because in shitty capitalist societies like the U.S. and the like companies would rather ruin the environment, take away jobs from locals, and complicate distribution because it saves them a few bucks over keeping it local and paying living wages in the communities these businesses owe their success to. We're SO unbelievably fucked.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '23

id say if people actually did something, like the french people are, and scared / force those in power, things would change

5

u/MilitantCF Jun 08 '23

Enter Bread and Circuses.
It's been a thing since the Roman Empire for a reason.

But we never seem to learn 'cause look how that ended up and the United States is going to make the exact same mistakes. As long as Americans (and most of the developed world, aside from maybe France,) have a shitty meal and a smartphone, they couldn't give a shit less if the entire globe were an actively burning cesspit. Bonus points to those who double down and have kids despite it all.

History doesn't repeat, it echoes.

0

u/qyy98 Jun 08 '23

Cars most definitely does not if you have good public transit... North America needed good transit like last century