Joy! Apocalypse delayed until 2030

I always thought a stray meteorite would just smack into the world in, oh, 2020, and that would be that.

Or, perhaps, around 2015, everyone would become a celebrity and have a simultaneous nervous breakdown, brought on by excessive drug abuse, causing a Koresh-like disappearance of humanity.

But no, the year to prepare all your insurance policies for is 2030.

By that year, according to Professor John Beddington, the U.K. government's chief scientist, food and energy demand will have risen by 50 percent and fresh water by 30 percent. And the global population will have risen to around 8.3 billion.

(Credit: CC L*u*z*a Lack of Inspiration)

Professor Beddington said at the Sustainable Development UK conference today that it will be a "perfect storm." Because today's storm is, of course, so frightfully flawed.

Here's the good news. For the United Kingdom, at least: "We're relatively fortunate in the U.K. There may not be shortages here, but we can expect prices of food and energy to rise."

Yes, Britain may, again, rule the world. Now that would, indeed, be perfect.

It's not that I'm pessimistic, but does Professor Beddington really believe that, given the way things have been going lately, there will even be a world by 2030? I worry that he doesn't watch enough TV.

Live for today, people. Tomorrow may not be another day after all.

[myles taylor]

The UK is one of the most import dependent countries out there. Sure, we import more in the US, but it's not essentials for survival; it's luxury items. We could easily support our 300 odd million people with food if we had to be self-reliant. The UK on the other hand has almost the same amount of people and almost no resources. How would they "be okay"? I don't get that. Where is all this magical food coming from? While the rest of the world descends into chaos, they still set enough food aside to ship to the little island off the coast of France?

[nickh2]

The UK has a popuation of 60 million. How is that "almost the same" as 300 million?
There's also plenty of agricultural land. Did you think that the Brits just covered everything in a layer of concrete?

[myles taylor]

Sorry, I was thinking of Russia for some reason. You're right about the population, but they are still heavily dependent on imports. Look at WWII for an example. If imports had been cut of, Britain would have been defeated in weeks. Yes there is some agricultural land but with the short growing season (and the effects of global warming by that time) and if you take into account population increases, there is no way there is enough to feed the population.

[despain05]

yay!!!

[renGek]

Maybe if people weren't so desperate to have a house full of kids we wouldn't have to worry about population explosion. There are tons of people out there with no business having children. They don't even know why they are having kids....save their marriage, boredom, because everybody is asking them when they're going to have kids, lots of ooops we got a miracle.

[ballmerisanape]

That's what happens when the government provides free housing and food for people that don't work... and increase those benefits with each child. Instead of rewarding good behavior, spending that money on education, and cracking down on bad behavior.... they enable self-perpetuating inner city baby farms that are almost 3rd world like.

Educated people that have jobs and contribute to society tend to not have 8 or so kids... they are smart enough... and proud enough.. to realize what happens when they exceed their means.

[marc_90292]

GEE, Guys! There is still Mars, Venus, and Crypton!!!

[Michael Grogan]

The real population growth problem in the US comes from corporate America, like all the rest of our problems. Remember the zero growth movement in the 70's? We had reached that goal briefly but it was bad for business growth and the media became full of the grandeur of large families. Our current socio-economic system with its dependence on constant growth will be the death of the planet. We can only hope to last until 2030.

[Thranx]

pfft... arrogant fools. They assume we'll live bast 2012. :P

[myles taylor]

what's bast?

[shouldbe51]

I agree with you myles!!!

[bobmarleypeople]

HA HA, last laugh.

[Dr_Zinj]

Maybe it's time for me to start promoting my new book:

"Dr ZInj's Apocalyptic Cannibalistic Cookbook, or How to have your Neighbor for Dinner"

[shanedr]

Methinks the UK needs a new chief scientist, unless this article misquoted him.

[Warhaven]

Well, with recent developments in fusion technology, scientists can confidently state for the next 50 years that fusion power is only 10 years away. For those of you keeping track, fusion power has been "Just 20 years away!" for the last 50 years.

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