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| Manhattan as seen from the North-facing side of the Empire State Building observatory. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Overpopulation
"I guess when I think of Manhattan, I think of the city and how crowded it probably is and how I wouldn't want to deal with all those people," was how Patricia Lynne answered my question "What does Manhattan say to you?"
I can't remember ever having visited Central Park, but so many times I've seen the images on television and movies of the masses of people in the park. It may be a place to get away from the city for a while, but rarely will you get away from the people.
In Manhattan people seem to be everywhere and that's essentially because they are everywhere. According to Wikipedia, New York city is the most populous city in the U.S. with over 8 million people which is more than 40% of the population of the entire state of New York. Nearly two million people live in Manhattan alone. Manhattan's population density is 66,940 persons per square mile and growing.
Beyond the people who live in Manhattan we have millions of those who work in and visit the city on a daily basis. The bottom line is that there are a lot of people condensed into a relatively small area of about 23 square miles. Let's face it, the space on the ground for population expansion is limited so the only way to go for population is upward. Hence Manhattan has not only the skyscrapers but large buildings constructed for housing. Manhattan gives the old saying "The sky's the limit" a different perspective that what was likely intended when the saying was initially stated.
The sheer number of people contained within the confines of a place that is essentially mostly an island seems like a frightening recipe for disaster. Is there a practical plan for evacuating that many people in a quick efficient manner? Manhattan has dealt with natural as well as man made events that have had dangerous potential and yet the city has managed to survive partly through the emergency plans set by government agencies and the cooperative will of the people who live there.
The Big Machine of Organized Population
Geoff Maritz from Geoff's Blogs lives in South Africa but he wonders some of the same things that I have wondered as he lays out the following vision:
Never been to Manhattan but the first thought that came to mind was an alleyway between brown brick buildings with a fenced off entrance and a waste skip next to a wall. Then immediately the image of a garbage barge full to the brim. It got me to wondering what they do with all the trash generated by so many people daily.
Now there's a thought. The inner workings of big cities are fascinating to me as well. An amazing feat taking care of all that garbage. I've heard that it's hauled off on barges, but I don't recall everywhere it goes. There have been disputes from some places that don't want Manhattan's garbage. The city, like all metropolitan areas throughout the world, must continually find new ways to recycle waste and dispose of it in ways that are not unsightly and don't damage the environment.
The entire concept of the infrastructure that serves Manhattan is mind boggling. Getting electricity, energy sources, and water to that many people and maintaining the big machine that makes for a civilized society is unfathomable to most of us. Then there is not only the aforementioned trash disposal, but also the disposal of waste from toilets and industrial waste. Keeping a city running and maintaining a level of comfort for the masses of people who live there is an amazing undertaking that we rarely think about until something goes wrong.
Many People, Small Area
When I drive across the wide empty expanses of places like West Texas or the Mojave Desert of Southern California I can't help but dismiss the idea of the Earth becoming overpopulated anytime soon. Sustainability is always a concern, but somehow the ingenuity of the human mind seems to come up with answers to problems such as these. We need safe water, clean air, and food in order to survive and the technology seems to be available for the most part. Politics, corporate greed, and the evil machinations of powers and devious peoples are typcially the main things that block the way to a world where every person can live and work with the same necessities, conveniences, and luxuries available to others of wealthier means.
Part of the answer to sustainability and cooperation between peoples can be found in Manhattan as well as other great cities of the world. Overpopulation is a myth to some scientists while others predict doom, death, and destruction of a big world that is too small for humanity. We've heard the prophecies for decades: The Earth is going to die due to the abuse of those who live here and far too many of them at that.
No doubt that we need to be good stewards of this world we live in. We need to recycle and not be engaged in needless waste. The science fiction visions of migrations to other planets when we've killed this world make for entertaining stories, but I see little likelihood that this will happen. If it does happen then it will be far beyond any of our lifetimes. And if that time came, would we ever actually be ready. to evacuate our planet. I guess it's kind of like evacuating Manhattan in a short time and getting everyone out safely. And for that matter, if you are evacuating Manhattan is there any safe place the population can go?
People populate a city because of opportunity. They want jobs, money, comradery, exciting things to do. A city is vibrant and it is vibrant because of the people. The more people, the more there is to offer to many others who continue to flow Manhattanward. A city is like a giant people magnet. People continue to be drawn to the lights, the action, and other people. Will it become overpopulated or will new ways be continually found to accommodate all of these people?
It's a debate that has been going for years and will probably continue for many more.
Do you believe that Manhattan is now facing overpopulation? Will Manhattan ever reach an overpopulation breaking point? How many people do you think the Earth can consistently sustain over a period of eons?
Do you believe that Manhattan is now facing overpopulation? Will Manhattan ever reach an overpopulation breaking point? How many people do you think the Earth can consistently sustain over a period of eons?
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