This page provides information on earth (numbers about planet
Earth and its dominant species), followed by commentary
by Gene Shiles, author of "Tribes of the Orange Sun." (A
description of this most intriguing among recent sci-fi books
is given later).
Information on Earth - Size
Earth is a slightly "flattened" sphere; its radius is about
3964 miles (at the
equator, where it is widest). Water
covers roughly 71% of the surface. "Dry" land
is therefore
about 57 million square miles in area.
Information on Earth - Population of the Dominant Species
For most of human history, up to around 10 thousand years
ago (generally accepted by
science, although some place
the time a few thousand years earlier), Earth's human
population
remained stabilized at around 8 to 10 million.
Since then it has grown, at varying rates, to reach its
present level of over 6,200 million (6.2 billion). This
growth started when people began to grow
crops and
domesticate animals, which initiated the change from a
hunter/gatherer subsistence
(natural food supply) to a
technology-driven food supply (agriculture). We note
that about 620
(or more) humans are alive today (most
supported by agricultural technology) for every one
human who was supported by the natural food supply
of early non-technological Earth.
The more recent "explosive" growth (doubled in the 40-year
period from 1960 to
2000, from about 3 billion to about
6 billion) is due to much more than just advances in
agricultural technology. Among other factors is the
decrease in the death rate due to advances in
medicine
and sanitation.
Information on Earth - Density of the Dominant Species
Using the numbers above, we can calculate the average
density of humans
(in, for example, people per square
mile) on Earth's land. With 6.2 billion on 57 million
square miles of land, the density is about 109 per square
mile. This number is somewhat
deceiving, though, since
much of that land area is not "liveable" (too cold, too
dry, too wet, too mountainous, etc.)
For "primitive" Earth, let us use the
number 10 million.
The density then (before agriculture, back when humans
lived off Earth's
natural food supply) was about .18
people per square mile (or about one person per 5.7
square miles). Again we must mention that not all land
was liveable; not all land was
suitable for hunting and
gathering.
Commentary on the Information on Earth
109 people per square mile may not look like an over
population. That could be, using for example 3
people per
average house, about 36 houses per square mile. Again,
not all land is "suitable";
let us add 50% to this, giving 54
houses per "suitable" square mile. With about 650 acres
to the square mile, this is about 12 acres per house.
As stated, this doesn't look like
over population; but those
3 people per house must be fed. So much of that 12 acres
must
be in intensive agriculture (if we are going to assume
that the whole "suitable" land
area of Earth is populated in
this uniform way).
Modern cities are much more dense than
109 people per
square mile. But cities are never self-sufficient. Cities
require, for their
very existence, that large areas
elsewhere be dedicated to agriculture. In modern "global"
society, agricultural land need not be adjacent to each
city; but that land must be somewhere
"on Earth," and it
must be suited to agriculture.
Earth's Growing Human Population
Is over population on Earth a serious problem? One might
look at some information on earth; Just a few examples:
Thousands, mostly children,
starve to death every day in
different places around the world. Forests everywhere are
"disappearing." The global unpolluted fresh water supply is
in danger. Illegal
immigration is a big problem for the
United States.
Science and technology, and, yes, politics, may "handle" these
and other such over population problems in the short term even
if human population continues to grow. But what kind of world
will our great-great-grandchildren inherit? Eventually over
population must be controlled, but the longer society waits
the more draconian must be the method and the greater must
be the price paid in terms of environmental problems and
human lifestyles.
Is space colonization an alternative?
A Recently Published Book
"Tribes of the Orange Sun," published in November, 2001,
looks at Earth two hundred years in the future. Population
has grown to 24 billion. Science and technology has kept
up with this over population (fed the people) and struggled
with the environmental problems - but human lifestyles
have changed dramatically. (Note that growth to 24 billion
in 200 years requires a slowing of the current growth rate
- to a doubling in 100 years instead of 40 years).
This most compelling of sci-fi books also assumes that
the same science and technology has developed the means
to send large numbers of people to other solar system(s).
The book considers much information on earth as it describes
the possibility of earthlike planets and how they might be
similar to, and different from, our Earth.
Is space colonization the way to solve the over population
problem once and for all?
*Click here on synopsis to read a short
description of
the story "Tribes of the Orange Sun."
*Click here on exerpts to read a few
paragraphs from
several chapters in "Tribes of the Orange Sun."
*Click here on Chapter 1 to read a full
chapter from
"Tribes of the Orange Sun."
*Click here on new synopsis to read a short
description of
the soon-to-be-published story "Pale Yellow Sun."
Click here to go to the "Tribes of the Orange Sun" home page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gene Shiles is a scientist and formeruniversity professor. He has taughtin the fields of Physics, Mathematics,
Astronomy, Electronics and Statistics.(PhD, University of California)
He lives in Minnesota, and has a catnamed Panther.
Click here on
information on earth or on "book"
at left to Browse (read pages to see if
you like it) and/or purchase "Tribes of
the Orange Sun" at publisher's online
bookstore.
Links to other online bookstores are given
at the bottom of this page.
SYNOPSIS, "Tribes of the Orange Sun"
Future scientists, struggling with over population and
environmental problems, devise an ambitious plan to
manage further population growth. Earth Government
hastily implements the new plan for space colonization;
the only alternative, forced control of the population,
is not politically attractive.
Adam Hampton, the newest member of the population
project's organizing team, objects to an excessively
optimistic use of old and some very new technologies.
He suspects that the plan is fundamentally flawed,
that the lives of the many young volunteers are at
risk. But, in the beginning, he cannot point to anything
specific. He can only watch and wait while three of his
best friends - and millions of others - begin what they
believe will be a great adventure and a new life.
The eager volunteers reach their destination, a faraway
earthlike planet, but events don't go as planned. They
must soon fight for bare survival against an ancient
menace - a menace that had plagued growing populations,
man and animal alike, since life on Earth first began.
Is this a story about a new planet? Or is it really about
our own home planet? Read "Tribes of the Orange Sun."
Click here on
information on earth or on "book"
at left to Browse (read pages to see if
you like it) and/or purchase "Tribes of
the Orange Sun" at publisher's online
bookstore.
To order by phone, call toll-free: (877) 823-9235 Publisher:
iUniverse, Inc.
ISBN # 0-595-20319-1
The book is also available at other online
bookstores. Some examples:
Click here on information on earth to go to the Barnes and Noble online bookstore.
Click here on information on earth to go to the Amazon.com online bookstore.
"Tribes of the Orange
Sun" can also be ordered at
Barnes and Noble "brick-and-mortar" bookstores.
Click on information on earth to go back to the top of this page
