by Allen Teal

Created on: January 29, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

The capacity of the earth to sustain human life is not nearly being taxed yet. It has been estimated that all of humanity could exist in an area about the size of Texas. That would leave the rest of the earth for cultivating food and producing or capturing fresh water.

Technology today has plenty of room left to push the envelope on food production. People have proven that they have a willingness to eating almost anything that is not poisonous. Depending on where you live, your diet may be steak, rice, grubs, or dogs. Producing food from non-traditional sources is becoming more possible everyday. Science can help make sure it's nuitritious and tasty.

The earth is 75% water. Yes, lots of it is undrinkable seawater. The processes to convert seawater to fresh water have advanced dramatically in recent years as some of our more affluent places such as southern California have began to exhaust their terestrial sources of fresh water. Once the economics of that are mastered, the population could boom anywhere by just piping in the water like we do natural gas and oil.

Solar technology alone could provide enough energy to keep the world going without oil or coal. Current work at producing electricity from sea currents and tidal movement are extremely promising. Within the next 50 or so years, we will probably no longer worry about world oil supplies. Just like whale oil shortages 150 years ago, technology will solve the problem as soon as the economics are right.

Disease and violent crime rates in high population areas is a big problem. However, if commodities and energy are available without enormous cost of today, the need for much crime will decrease. Stress will be reduced. And violence would decrease. Medical science may never eliminate disease, but with the proper care to isolate ventilation systems and filter interior air, the rate of infectious disease should go down.

Pollution could be the gorilla problem that will require more intellectual and monetary expenditures than we're willing to give. Stopping pollution always costs and the returns are not always quickly apparent.

Learn more about this author, Allen Teal.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.