The writer P.J. O’Rourke did a chapter on overpopulation in his book “All the Trouble in the World,” and if you had a population density comparable to, say, Manhattan, you could actually fit the entire population of the planet into a fairly small area (even smaller if you did Hong Kong level population density). Even at the population density of some suburban areas you could put everyone into an area smaller than the United States.
Stand On Zanzibar was the first thing I thought of too. Wondered what the size needed was now, but hadn’t thought it had gotten to Floridian proportions…
Not to be a nitpicker, but if you gave every person two square feet to stand on, you’d need 502 square miles, an area more than 10 times the size of San Francisco. Picking Jacksonville, Florida is disingenuous, because it encompasses an area of 887 square miles, which isn’t just the city, but vast areas of open space, much larger than most urban areas… And still, you’d all be packed cheek-by jowl. And that’s to say nothing of the fact that 7,000,000,000 consume vast resources… (OK, I’m nitpicking)
phuhknees over 12 years ago
“clown car cauliflower”that’s just sooo wrong…
Samskara over 12 years ago
That may be true, but if you crowd Floridians they may feel they’re being threatened. Perhaps Newark NJ might be a better choice.
scpandich over 12 years ago
The writer P.J. O’Rourke did a chapter on overpopulation in his book “All the Trouble in the World,” and if you had a population density comparable to, say, Manhattan, you could actually fit the entire population of the planet into a fairly small area (even smaller if you did Hong Kong level population density). Even at the population density of some suburban areas you could put everyone into an area smaller than the United States.
Stephen Gilberg over 12 years ago
You could fit everyone in the Grand Canyon, but I’d hate to be there at that time.
diplomat over 12 years ago
Stand On Zanzibar was the first thing I thought of too. Wondered what the size needed was now, but hadn’t thought it had gotten to Floridian proportions…
jqmcd over 12 years ago
Not to be a nitpicker, but if you gave every person two square feet to stand on, you’d need 502 square miles, an area more than 10 times the size of San Francisco. Picking Jacksonville, Florida is disingenuous, because it encompasses an area of 887 square miles, which isn’t just the city, but vast areas of open space, much larger than most urban areas… And still, you’d all be packed cheek-by jowl. And that’s to say nothing of the fact that 7,000,000,000 consume vast resources… (OK, I’m nitpicking)
Nebulous Premium Member over 12 years ago
Jacksonville is just fine.They’re practically Yankees anyway.(Just outside Miami for many generations.)
peachyanddanny over 12 years ago
Ms. Duggars calculation would require something like 14 people/sq. ft. That’s all yours you idiot.
Sherlock Watson over 12 years ago
If everyone breathed in at the same time, the people at the edge would find themselves being pushed outward at 60 miles per hour.
jessdan over 12 years ago
Well, maybe, but if you put everyone in the world in texas, they would have enough land to survive.