OT CJ,
I remember taking an Agricultural Econ class in college many years ago. (14 years LOL.) Anyhow, we talked about the carrying capacity of the earth and how many humans the Earth could possibly support. I think if I remember correctly the number is around 10.5-11 billion. After that amount, all the arable land, water, commodity type resources won't be able to fully support the entire human population. (May be by then technology will change everything.)
Anyhow, the estimates were by 2025 8 billion and by 2050 we may see that number hit 10-11 billion as more people age in the 80-90s+ and medical treatment is better. I hope I do not see that in my life time personally. It may be catastrophic. Predictions are mass starvation, more poor, a run on commodities, and the destruction of the earth in general.
Any major storms could cause massive death and starvation, as can be seen right now in SE asia in Thailand and Myanmar with the over population. Look at India, and other parts like Philippines where there isn't enough rice and it costs too much and people are starving.
BTW - I saw "China rising" on the discovery Channel last year and they are having a huge issue on arable land. Most of the NW and SW is all desert and the NE is turning to a desert. (China is trying to fight back by planting tons of trees you see it all over if you've been to Beijing recently. Although the sandstorms are crappy. Your face is raw and your throat is sore.) There is only about 3% good arable land in China while the U.S. has a lot more so we are blessed in a sense. The good land in China is being built on with roads, and buildings so there is less food being produced. The four 2 hr episodes stated that china is agriculturally at it's carrying capacity and an environmental disaster (food when tested has chemicals/heavy metals so high in most of the vegetables that FDA would highly recommend people not to eat it if they were sold in the U.S. That is scary since I was in southern China for a week.) Anyhow, again any weather or earthquake type catastrophe and China will be in trouble and will need to rely on massive imports to feed their population.
