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Study reveals that decent living standards for 8.5 billion people possible with only 30% of current global resource and energy use. (www.sciencedirect.com)
submitted 1 day ago by Gaywallet@beehaw.org to c/science@beehaw.org
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[-] Toes@ani.social 5 points 1 day ago

So does that mean the maximum population of our planet is about ~30 billion people?

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 7 points 1 day ago

Probably not because that 30% is an average of different resources.

For example. Let's say you have two resources:

  • A - 10% of the current production of A is enough for the current pops
  • B - 50% of the current production of B is enough for the current pops

Both average to 30%. If you multiply the population by 3, you still have a surplus of A, but now there isn't enough B.

Another concern is that increasing the population so much would force unsustainable approaches to resource extraction. In other words: 30 billion people living fine and dandy for a generation or two, and then their descendants living in a hellhole.

this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
114 points (100.0% liked)

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