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From: arandia@acsu.buffalo.edu (joel d arandia)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Why bother? (was Re: Terraforming, sun shield)
Message-ID: <64568@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 12 Mar 91 00:20:23 GMT
References: <1991Feb22.164032.16901@zoo.toronto.edu> <1991Mar8.185043.21138@linus.mitre.org> <7573@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> <21320@crg5.UUCP>
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szabo@crg5.UUCP (Nick Szabo) writes:

>As I pointed out previously, the human race will _not_ expand, because
>the natural equilibrium population growth rate with reliable birth control 
>is c. -50% per generation.  This is regardless of any technology except
>that related to radically reducing the costs of having children in terms of
>money and women's health.  

	Why?  In the future, why would people only be allowed to have only 
2 or less children?  Why not expand?  It's obvious that the earth's resources
are limited.  We can't keep 5 billion here forever.  I hope between now and 
forever, we'll have migrated into space.  What's this with conservation?
Expand!  Explore!  Exploit!  Come on!  The only way to go now is to go up!
The whole history of the human race is about expansion.  Why stop now?

						Joel D. Arandia
						arandia@acsu.buffalo.edu