Редактирование: Life extension and overpopulation risk

{{yt|QsBT5EQt348|right|right|A video from the [[Bill Gates]] foundation explaining the overpopulation myth}}
{{yt|UXUkameA0r8|right|right|Another}}
The subject of '''life extension''' will often bring up questions around '''overpopulation''' and the idea that such '''risks''' may go hand in hand in leading to some kind of [[dystopia]]n future. 

== Risk advocacy ==
Bioethicist [[Leon Kass]] is especially critical of such technologies, arguing life extension is [[deathism|unnatural]] and therefore undesirable.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1369280/ Death as an unnatural process]</ref><ref>[http://www.iescience.org/?p=170 The role of aging in society]</ref> David Attenborough has referred to humans as as 'plague on the earth' due to their environmental impact.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/9815862/Humans-are-plague-on-Earth-Attenborough.html David Attenborough - Humans are plague on Earth]</ref> Some has advocated overpopulation leading to warfare, but this hypothesis has been discredited.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20160603173842/http://cliodynamics.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=281&Itemid=1</ref>

Some transhumanists are concerned about the risks of overpopulation, such as when [[Zoltan Istvan]] wrote "It's time to consider restricting human breeding".<ref>[http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-08/14/time-to-restrict-human-breeding It's time to consider restricting human breeding]</ref>

Some [[dark green]] environmentalists believe that a growing population is too high a risk for the environment.<ref>[http://churchandstate.org.uk/2012/11/why-overpopulation-is-bigger-threat-than-global-warming/ Why overpopulation is bigger threat than global warming]</ref>

Many are concerned about the birth rates amongst the religious, however this tends to more strongly correlated with education and other factors rather than religious beliefs.<ref>[https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_religions_and_babies Hans Rosling: Religions and babies]</ref>

== Risk scepticism ==
[[File:Population.jpg|thumb|right|Report shows the slowing in population growth with UN projections]]
Many life extensionists question such a risk from a variety of positions.<ref>[http://www.martinborchjensen.com/hypotheses/overpopulation/ Dying doesn’t really affect overpopulation]</ref><ref>[https://pirate.london/2015/09/demographic-anxiety-and-transhumanist-perspective/ Demographic anxiety and transhumanist perspective]</ref> 2010 paper by [[Leonid A. Gavrilov]] from the [[Center on Aging]] outlined a number of different life extension interventionist scenarios, none of which is projected to cause such a problem.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20426616 Demographic Consequences of Defeating Aging]</ref>

Life extension aside, many people are convinced we are headed for a global population crisis, however the demographics experts believe population is due to peak at 10 billion then decrease by all the existing projections.<ref>[http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth?language=en Global population growth, box by box]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3192186/ Demographic Consequences of Defeating Aging]</ref>

The attached report via the UN shows how population growth is in decline.<ref>[http://ourworldindata.org/data/population-growth-vital-statistics/world-population-growth/ World Population Growth]</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/MaxCRoser/status/701729665849946116 Global population growth peaked more than half a century ago in 1963 with a growth of 2.22%]</ref>

The [[Life Extension Advocacy Foundation]] maintains dedicated resources explaining how an aging population is more problematic than overpopulation.<ref>[http://www.lifeextensionadvocacyfoundation.org/education/overpopulation/ Overpopulation]</ref>

== Mitigations ==
Technologies such a [[mind uploading]] may hold the potential for limiting resource consumption even under the most extreme of scenarios.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, worldwide, 40% of all pregnancies are unplanned or unwanted <ref>https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2014/new-study-finds-40-pregnancies-worldwide-are-unintended</ref>.  The population crisis could be significantly dampened by simply expanding global access to contraception, and by social advocacy promoting the use of contraception.

== Deconstructing overpopulation ==
When faced with statistics and projections, many people still have concerns none the less. These can break down into ideas such as:<ref>[https://pirate.london/2017/01/deconstructing-overpopulation-for-life-extensionists/ Deconstructing overpopulation for life extensionists]</ref>
* General environmental sustainability - The increasing damage to the environment is cause by mankind, therefore 'overpopulation' can be proxy for 'concerns for environmental sustainability'
* [[Dysgenics]] - As archetypally portrayed in Idiocracy,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy</ref> there exists in society certain perverse incentives to reproduce, such as financial and housing benefits which need to be addressed as a part of a general population strategy as anyone who's watched day time talk shows may be aware
* Penalisation of the childless - For people who choose not to have children for various reasons, they are forced to support those who do which is another unsolved problem of the current welfare state
* We are currently over capacity<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrying_capacity</ref> - Some environmental groups argue mankind has already exceeded its carrying capacity and a significant ''reduction'' is required
* Localised instability - Factors like immigration into small towns are increasingly politicised where a local services are improperly funded to handle the consequences of this
* Aging population - The population is getting older, less able to work and more reliant on social security institutions. Which is a great argument for increasing [[healthspan]], not just lifespan!<ref>http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/06/08/scientists-more-worried-than-public-about-worlds-growing-population/</ref>

== In fiction ==
[[Soylent Green]], whist not featuring [[life extension]], features [[oligarchic transhumanism|inequality]], pollution and overpopulation in a classic dystopian future scenario.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green Wikipedia:Soylent Green]</ref>

[[Inferno]] features a nominally transhumanist villain who believes in the myth of human overpopulation to the point he believes the population is due to reach 32 billion.<ref>[http://www.rationalargumentator.com/index/blog/2016/11/inferno-overpopulation-myth/ “Inferno” and the Overpopulation Myth – Article by Jonathan Newman]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Eugenics]]
* [[Opposition to life extension]]
== External links ==
* [https://overpopulationisamyth.com/ overpopulationisamyth.com]
* [http://io9.gizmodo.com/no-extreme-human-longevity-won-t-destroy-the-planet-1440148751 No, Extreme Human Longevity Won’t Destroy the Planet]
* [https://businessconnectworld.com/2018/09/12/the-earths-population-is-reaching-new-heights/ The Earth’s Population Is Reaching New Heights. Are We Prepared for the Consequences?]
* {{Wikipedia|Human overpopulation}}
* {{Wikipedia|Sub-replacement fertility}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Opposition to transhumanism]]
[[Category:Life extensionism]]
[[Category:Opposition to life extension]]
[[Category:Existential risks]]
[[Category:Bio-fatalism]]
[[Category:Bioconservatism]]
[[Category:Technophobia]]