What if?

[Borchester]

In the 1800 the UK population was about 10 million and outside of a Jane Austen novel, most folk lived like pigs.

Now, two hundred year later there are 6 times as many of us, yet we are better fed, clothed and educated than ever we were. So if the whole world and its wife pitches up on our shores there is every reason believe that the UK will enter a Golden Age

[T00ts]

I wonder if national politics will even be relevant then.

[cromwell]

If we are going to be a lifeboat for the world we have to like any lifeboat have a sticker on the side that states the maximum load . There is no point in becoming as uninhabitable as everywhere else ,if for different reasons .

We have recently  seen with just slight hic ups to the status quo that things can go pear shaped very quickly with  people going  into self preservation mode . Add unwanted mass migration into the mix and we would have a Mad Max scenario in no time .

At last a reply to the question. 

[Streetwalker]

They're right and the climate is going to change so much that parts of the earth will be no longer habitable plus (and the more likely  scenario IMO) population means people will be on the move making the present cross channel influx looking like a picnic.

So do we say yes we welcome you or adopt the hard approach and say sorry Darwin was right and we are in a good place and aim to keep it that way which even if it means sinking your boats or using weapons we will.

If we are going to be a lifeboat for the world we have to like any lifeboat have a sticker on the side that states the maximum load . There is no point in becoming as uninhabitable as everywhere else ,if for different reasons .

We have recently  seen with just slight hic ups to the status quo that things can go pear shaped very quickly with  people going  into self preservation mode . Add unwanted mass migration into the mix and we would have a Mad Max scenario in no time .

[Nick]

Oh bugger aT00ts has gone off to Siberia and now your telling me about past weather,are you two colluding to avoid the question put?

I'm agreeing with you, the climate is getting warmer. sorry

[T00ts]

Ha well I'm near the end anyway so no chance I'm hanging on for the short period left.

But there was a serious part to the OP as the claims and forecasts being made are on huge populations on the move,wars over living space so I posed what I thought an uncomfortable question........so uncomfortable no one wants  to answer except perhaps Baz though accompanied with a smiley.

Not us now but it is possible our descendants may have to make some difficult decisions.

I have absolutely no doubt that there will be some very very difficult times and as you say difficult and important decisions to be made. The prospect of the future even without the scientific guesswork is actually terrifying but our generation is not geared for it in the way that I believe those that will follow will be. 

[T00ts]

I love your imagination here.

OK, what if? We will have to have a cull. There's just too many human beings on the planet. We will start with volunteers. Hands up if you are willing.

Oh I'm really good at the imagination bit!!! My whole career revolved around it. However who is to say that the tectonic plates will not move and completely change what we currently know? We know of writings that tell of mountains falling etc.  Scientists always imagine that they have the definitive answers until they discover something that throws their theory on its head. I feel it fair to keep a very open mind.

[cromwell]

I love your imagination here.

OK, what if? We will have to have a cull. There's just too many human beings on the planet. We will start with volunteers. Hands up if you are willing.

Ha well I'm near the end anyway so no chance I'm hanging on for the short period left.

But there was a serious part to the OP as the claims and forecasts being made are on huge populations on the move,wars over living space so I posed what I thought an uncomfortable question........so uncomfortable no one wants  to answer except perhaps Baz though accompanied with a smiley.

Not us now but it is possible our descendants may have to make some difficult decisions.

[T00ts]

Your being hard work here T00ts you ignore the more likely scenario of over population and a far too nice a person to say you'd sink their boats.

Fr all us lot moan many people find this island an attractive destination.

Me nice? Nah, never. I tend to think that science is not too convincing yet - I have heard that there is a likelihood of the poles flipping and that they have before. Over population? Perhaps but already I have read that many are reluctant to bring more babies into a world with little future. Even China is worried that their birth rate is not high enough hence the permission for 2 children rather than just the one. I guess science will try growing babies in test tubes, but they are very absorbed in AI at present which suggests they might think that we will be short of man power in the future.
For me there are too many conflicting notions - and that's without any biblical consultation - so I am actually not getting too worried about any of it. Panic is the biggest worry since people will start marching like lemmings off a cliff edge long before they have any certainty about the future. We of course, will welcome them with open arms and worry about the consequences later as usual.

[Barry]

I guess there's always a possibility that the heating up will cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which will join all the continents up together again drying up the oceans. This would mean we would no longer be an island...

I love your imagination here.

OK, what if? We will have to have a cull. There's just too many human beings on the planet. We will start with volunteers. Hands up if you are willing.

[cromwell]

Man has lived through ice ages that we as far south as Gibraltar in the past. Medieval warm periods where temperatures where much higher. There's paintings of the Thames having ice fayres on it, London is littered with clues to the U.K. being much warmer in the past. Stained glass Windows depicting plants that can't survive in our cold climate in the U.K.  Vine Street!! It's called that as it was abundant with grapes which need a warmer climate. Everyone going bonkers over 1.5 degrees C.
The Earth has spent more time without ice caps than with.

Oh bugger aT00ts has gone off to Siberia and now your telling me about past weather,are you two colluding to avoid the question put? 

[cromwell]

What reason do you have for supposing that the temperature will stop rising at any given level? My understanding is that it will eventually burn up completely unless some idiots start firing off bombs first. Either way life is in rather a lot of peril. Travelling anywhere may not be an option. It might do as a stopgap I suppose for a while in which case we should be charitable but anyone looking at a map anyone can see that the world cannot all live here. I think Siberia would be a better longer term option.

Your being hard work here T00ts you ignore the more likely scenario of over population and a far too nice a person to say you'd sink their boats.

Despite all us lot moaning on here many people find this island an attractive destination.

[Nick]

They're right and the climate is going to change so much that parts of the earth will be no longer habitable plus (and the more likely  scenario IMO) population means people will be on the move making the present cross channel influx looking like a picnic.

So do we say yes we welcome you or adopt the hard approach and say sorry Darwin was right and we are in a good place and aim to keep it that way which even if it means sinking your boats or using weapons we will.

Man has lived through ice ages that we as far south as Gibraltar in the past. Medieval warm periods where temperatures where much higher. There's paintings of the Thames having ice fayres on it, London is littered with clues to the U.K. being much warmer in the past. Stained glass Windows depicting plants that can't survive in our cold climate in the U.K.  Vine Street!! It's called that as it was abundant with grapes which need a warmer climate. Everyone going bonkers over 1.5 degrees C. 
The Earth has spent more time without ice caps than with. 

[T00ts]

What reason do you have for supposing that the temperature will stop rising at any given level? My understanding is that it will eventually burn up completely unless some idiots start firing off bombs first. Either way life is in rather a lot of peril. Travelling anywhere may not be an option. It might do as a stopgap I suppose for a while in which case we should be charitable but anyone looking at a map anyone can see that the world cannot all live here. I think Siberia would be a better longer term option.

[cromwell]

I guess we have little promise of remaining temperate. We may well be joining the caravan to Siberia as well.

Doubt it,what I meant was in a temperate zone now,we might have weather like Spain in the future and let's have it right we are quite far north  it's the Gulf Stream that keeps us as we are now but Endinburgh is on the same latitude as Moscow.