Interesting debate on the ABC Q&A last night on the population of Australia.
Good points from both sides, a lot for us all to think about.
www.abc.net.au/tv/populationpuzzle/index.html
www.abc.net.au/qanda/q-and-a-population-debate-special/10662888
So do you win the blondes and the puppy as well as the cash if you find a solution?
It was interesting.
That topic has been so quiet for so long and yet the potential for disaster is common knowledge. Suddenly we have a Minister for Sustainable Population and he has a job and a half to get on top of it.
Dick Smith has been pretty effective at raising awareness.
Having a lower population density was something that was good about Australia.
Its sad that nowdays the east coast of Australia is turning into one huge urban strip. What were small towns and villages are now becoming bigger and are spreading out to touch each other. The farmland inbetween is being chopped up into house blocks. Road and bridges that were designed and built60 years ago are too busy.
The pro growth people on Q&A didn't have a decent argument for increasing Australia's population. Its stupid to say we need more people to pay taxes to look after old people. What happens in 40 or 50 years time? Do we need more people to look after the people we had paying tax 50 years ago?
I'm bloody glad John Elliott didn't become a politician.
Felt sorry for the Lib bloke trying to give credible well presented ideas (even if they differ from my ideas) with a fat ignorant pre-historic boat anchor like Elliot (rightly or wrongly -still being associated with the libs) dragging the whole panel into a farce.
Gotta admire Dick Smith. Don't always agree with him but he's a legend and takes criticism better than most.
Yeah, a bit, no alot, underwhelming. It seemed to me that his basic premise that high density living is inferior to the 1/4 acre block lifestyle is just wrong. I moved from tassie to Melbourne for the excitement and sophistication of the city now I want to move to New York. Maybe in a few years 100 acres in the bush might seem attractive but right now the country is a bit dull. Dick may be a smart businessman but his view of AU seems simplistic and unsophisticated, like he wants to turn back the clock to a golden age that never really was
I moved here based on the fact that the standard of living was better and I could live comfortably close to a big city and still have some space...
that said Australians really look like whingers when they start to say "we're full" because compared to pretty much every other country, Australia is practically empty.
But then that's bull****, compared to India, Australian's have a good standard of healthcare and compared to South Africa, Australia has a low level of violent crime... it's not to say that Australia should aim for more violent crime or worse healthcare because of some global average...
I suppose it comes down to your views on rights. If you believe that a country has the right to close its borders to other people, then it follows that it can control its population. Just because another country is growing fast, it doesn't oblige Australia to grow fast.
But it doesn't follow that high national population density is low standard of living, if log man wants to live in a high density city while he's in his twenties and I want to live in a ok sized house in the burbs and the boomers want to live in the country when they retire then that works fine... it just needs a bit of thinking and a lot of investment in transport.
I just wish there were less POMs bringing the standards down. Kidding Ginger.
We do need to realise that urban sprawl and over consumption is never gonna last.
Have a modest house on a 400m square block. I guess that's not huge (not compared to the McMansions surrounding the area) and definately not tiny. Feels like a luxurious castle compared to how most of the world lives.
Oz is great and we are sooo lucky, but our tune will have to change with expanding population and water on the wane.
I moved from tassie to Melbourne for the excitement and sophistication of the city
Excitement yes sophistication? With 2 shooting today, it puts holes in your argument!!!
How does high density living make a city or you more sophisticated?
I personally love the 1/4 acre block, if people wish to live high density that's fine there is the city for that, but don't force everyone into it.
My suburb is loosing it 1/4 blocks to town houses ect, benefits are McDonalds, KFC & the likes have all opened up, also i stand to make a small fortune if i choose to develop!! Down side lack of parking in street, noticeable rise in graffiti, hostilities between neighbors & groups loitering on W/E. (its not that bad but compared with 30 years ago it is bad)
I thought the show was going to be Dick, Dick, Dick..... sorry Dick. I think you have nailed it well done! How much vodka do you reckon John Elliot had in his water? he had to be 3 parts pissed!!
The wisdom 20 years ago (when I was studying economics) was that Australia was under populated, and to achieve better efficiency, we had to increase our population. The analogy was the torque peak of an engine. We weren't revving the engine enough ! (Economist's call this economy's of scale). I suppose the 'economy's of scale' argument looks good on paper, but Dick raised some realities that I agree with. I think he is right it that will take new politicians to tackle this issue.
J
you'd have to hope the Elliot and his redneck cronies will pass on and let others get on with the job of fixing it up again
When they mentioned the bit about needing more population to support the pension system for the baby boomers alarm bells started ringing for me.... as they mentioned a "Ponzi" or "Pyramid" scheme it is just NOT sustainable, the current politicians are only interested in the short term fix and leave the future problems to someone else.
I have always found Dick Smith to be brilliant. He never shies away from a problem and has the intellect to realise that most of the problems we face are solved technically and rely on science, not opinions coloured by folk who have a greedy agenda.
Not in a million years says John, we know whose side you are on Elliot. People listen to him and are guided by so many influential folk of his ilk, like John Opinions for Sale Laws, and Alan in the Gents Jones.
In civilised galaxys intergalitic travels occur through time. These guys are land anchors to progress and toward civilisation.
In todays system the world population is very finite owing to our impact our foot print. If we trod softly and lived as we know is technically possible, the world is very capable of holding a vast number more than it is currently capable.
In Jaque Frescos model decision making is made by a central computer loaded with all of human empirical knowledge. While building the IT a world wide survey would be made of the worlds resources. From there on no more solutions made by politicians.
No more politicians!!!!!!!!!!
Imagine the creativity that could break loose in such a system. When universal intelligence overcomes universal stupidity. 
Imagine being able to be on the water when ever you wanted to be!
Imagine if every person was so focused on a universal goal, the achievements that scientists could make to our whole planet if there was no limit to their creativity, particularly the influence of profit.
Our whole system is corrupt and until we take serious notice of what science tells us we are in serious trouble and it is getting worse by the day
I thought the most interesting and alarming part of his film was the "population/time line" graph he put on his garage wall.
The sharp rise in population happened at the time of, and most likely because of, the use of oil as a fuel.
I do believe we need people in all levels of government (beaurocracy as well as elected) that are able to think and see like Dick Smith.
Gerry Harvey is another who has this type of vision, ie thinks outside of himself.
Thanks to Gizmo for raising the topic. I wanted to do it myself but hesitated because I, as a known and identified red neck, did not want to taint his good work.
this is one topic i have to disagree with Cisco + Japie on.
i reckon Dick Smith is a front guy for the corporate establishment, the one's pushing this nonesense that the earth cannot take an increase in population.
'they' are using their minnion, Dick Smith in this case to push this crap.
the sheep, believing this nonesense are more likely to accept a carbon tax!
multifaceted crap actually!
lost my respect for Dick Smith when he funded the attack on the Australian Vaccination Network,proof to me anyway, that he is one of 'them'.
p.s the AVN is against vaccination.
I thought the debate was great and I thank DS for bringing it up and making it a topic of discussion. Living in metropolitan Melbourne I can see that if we keep going the way we are, it's going to cause more problems that it will solve and I could relate to where DS was coming from. Once all the people are here there is no turning back. I look at Sydney and I think it's a basket case. Big doesn't mean better.
If we are talking about Tas - log man, there is no one there - living and working relatively close to this underpopulated island, it's on the top of my list of where I want to spend my summer holidays. Personally. I can't think of many other places, closeby, to unwind and escape from the Hoi polloi that comes with the unfortunate grind that comes with city life.
Australia has often been referred to the lucky country. I'm all for keeping it right for future generations. I'm with DS - this preoccupation Australia has with more, bigger is better, doesn't quite add up, and it needs to be debated to work out a plan for our future.
New order were great. but hang on ,their big record was "power corruption and lies"!!!. Maybe new order were the new world order.
We should not try to grow cotton or rice! use our limited supply of water to drink .
Recycle storm water. Cut our losses and turn the vic desal plant into a wave generating pump for perfect inland barrels. And Dick is spot on !
