World population

[Rum]

..is three times what it was 50 years ago - i.e. 7 billion - this month.

I try not to be gloomy about our prospects, but this isn't good.

[MattShizzle]

This level of growth is clearly not sustainable and it will stop by natural means or otherwise and none of those means are pleasant - war - possibly nuclear, massive famine, new plagues, etc. Only means that isn't bad is seriously curbing reproduction.

[klr]

Better education, less religion ... those are good too.

[Jason]

I forget the stats now, but sub-Saharan Africa has the highest predicted population growth rate last I heard.

[klr]

Courtesy of the CIA World Factbook:

[HomerJay]

..is three times what it was 50 years ago - i.e. 7 billion - this month.

I try not to be gloomy about our prospects, but this isn't good.

is this accurate?

I remember the Tom Lehrer song "We will all go together when we Go"

And we will all bake together when we bake.
There'll be nobody present at the wake.
With complete participation
In that grand incineration,
Nearly three billion hunks of well-done steak

That must have been 50 years ago, not like Tom to get his facts wrong.

[Rum]

..is three times what it was 50 years ago - i.e. 7 billion - this month.

I try not to be gloomy about our prospects, but this isn't good.

is this accurate?

I remember the Tom Lehrer song "We will all go together when we Go"

And we will all bake together when we bake.
There'll be nobody present at the wake.
With complete participation
In that grand incineration,
Nearly three billion hunks of well-done steak

That must have been 50 years ago, not like Tom to get his facts wrong.

Yes, sadly.

[Exi5tentialist]

Calm down dears, the rate of increase is decreasing.

In 50 years time it will have levelled out. No need to reach for the machine guns just yet.

[MarkS]

No idea if it's actually true, but i read somewhere the most effective way of reducing population growth was to make sure girls got a decent education.

[Ian]

Calm down dears, the rate of increase is decreasing.

In 50 years time it will have levelled out. No need to reach for the machine guns just yet.

This is true - it should level off around 9 or 10 billion.

Unless, of course, the life expectancy levels of people keep going up. And they are, and they will. In other words, it could go higher than 11 billion.

[mistermack]

Calm down dears, the rate of increase is decreasing.

In 50 years time it will have levelled out. No need to reach for the machine guns just yet.

This is true - it should level off around 9 or 10 billion.

Unless, of course, the life expectancy levels of people keep going up. And they are, and they will. In other words, it could go higher than 11 billion.

Maybe, but when the price of food starts to affect life expectancy, that might change.
There isn't a bottomless pit of food. The oceans are beginning to run low, and land is getting short.

Maybe the price of food might make contraception more attractive in the end.

[Jason]

Calm down dears, the rate of increase is decreasing.

In 50 years time it will have levelled out. No need to reach for the machine guns just yet.

This is true - it should level off around 9 or 10 billion.

Unless, of course, the life expectancy levels of people keep going up. And they are, and they will. In other words, it could go higher than 11 billion.

I seem to recall 15 billion being the magic number.

[Tero]

Capitalism will take care of it. Too many people are being helped by that socialism. They should have to die.

I heard that from a libertarian.

[mistermack]

Actually, I did read recently that Brazil has dramatically cut it's population growth.
I was amazed to read it, for the country that has the most Catholics in the world. But apparently, Brazilians are beginning to ignore the church, and plan for just one or two kids.

If Brazil can do it, any country can. You just need to loosen the grip of the churches, and improve education.

[Jason]

China isn't big on religion and they know the ins of population control..