Greta Thunberg

[original PM]

And in other news, stupid, middle-aged, male gammon still getting triggered by a 16 year old girl.

Not really just a bit of perspective - however whilst Greta's heart is in the right place ultimately the whole save the planet thing is misguided as it is not a viable long term solution.

Let's put a few facts forward.

1) Climate change is unlikely to end the human race - it may end lots of human lives but that is not the same as ending the human race - so current population about 7.7 billion - 1% of that is 7.7 million - so if climate change wipes out 99% of the population there is still enough people to repopulate the world.

2) Ultimately the earth is a closed ecology - yes it is a very big one but if the population keeps rising then the collapse is inevitable as you can only recycle things so many times - so there needs to be population control or to put it another way someone needs to play god if Greta is to get her way.

3) As has been stated before the sun will become a red giant in 4.5 billion years and that will wipe out all life on earth.

4) So if the human race is to avoid extinction then we really need to get out there and colonise the rest of the universe.

You may say that 4.5 billion year is a long time - it is and it also assumes no other event completely threatens the earth - however if we do not work towards a solution I would imagine the Greta Thunbergs of 4.5 billion years into the future are going to be fooking livid we knew the sun would become a red giant and we did nothing about it.

[meridian]

Their dreams and childhoods have also been stolen.

News alert: not by a 16 year old Swedish girl though.

[original PM]

Their dreams and childhoods have also been stolen.

News alert: not by a 16 year old Swedish girl though.

Has it been stolen by Trump?

Boris maybe

or is it Putin?

[meridian]

Has it been stolen by Trump?

Boris maybe

or is it Putin?

Why don’t you investigate and tell us? The point is, despite you inferring otherwise, it was not a 16 year old Swedish girl.

[BlueSharp]

Oh look the hard of thinking are reposting a mis-quote of a 16 year old girl for internet points. How sad.

What she really said: "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. Yet I am one of the lucky ones. People are suffering."

[Paralytic]

What she really said: "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. Yet I am one of the lucky ones. People are suffering."

She wasn't wrong.

[original PM]

Oh look the hard of thinking are reposting a mis-quote of a 16 year old girl for internet points. How sad.

What she really said: "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. Yet I am one of the lucky ones. People are suffering."

Yes and people will continue to suffer whilst a large portion of the world live in abject poverty.

[NotAllThere]

Yes and people will continue to suffer whilst a large portion of the world live in abject poverty.

But as the world as a whole gets richer, the proportion of people in poverty is steadily decreasing, which, coupled with the expected peak population in the next few decades, should be a reason for hope.

[Zigenare]

Yes and people will continue to suffer whilst a large portion of the world live in abject poverty.

And?

If you breed and you have no means of supporting your offspring then the laws of natural selection come in to play.

As animals, our primary objective is to procreate. However in times past there were natural mechanisms that would keep down the population. Those mechanisms are being over-ridden, the population of the planet is growing, in areas that are unsustainable.

Pay your £3 a month so a village in the middle of nowhere has water and the kiddies don't die of cholera. However, spare a thought for what's going to happen when those kiddies are no-longer kiddies and start breeding kiddies of their own, who's going to support them?

[original PM]

And?

If you breed and you have no means of supporting your offspring then the laws of natural selection come in to play.

As animals, our primary objective is to procreate. However in times past there were natural mechanisms that would keep down the population. Those mechanisms are being over-ridden, the population of the planet is growing, in areas that are unsustainable.

Pay your £3 a month so a village in the middle of nowhere has water and the kiddies don't die of cholera. However, spare a thought for what's going to happen when those kiddies are no-longer kiddies and start breeding kiddies of their own, who's going to support them?

Indeed.

That was kind of the point - cleaning up the world and stopping climate change will not stop people living on areas of land which cannot support them and thus they will end up living in poverty and disease.

So you could possibly argue that by paying your £3 a month to give the kids some hopes and dreams you are actually just condemning them to a worse life...