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Page added on May 31, 2012
Population is a Profound Challenge for People and Planet
A scientific study released by the London-based Royal Society finds that the world’s human population growth and consumption of natural resources by rich countries present “profound” challenges to economies and our environment. The report, People and the Planet, includes several recommendations for ensuring the health of all life on the planet, including supporting voluntary family planning.
“The recommendations included in this study should be heeded by environmental activists around the world,” said the Center for Biological Diversity, which launched an innovative human population campaign a few years ago. “Unsustainable growth of the world’s human population is having profound environmental effects, including pushing more and more plants and animals toward extinction. Population growth and consumption simply have to be part of the discussion when we’re talking about environmental issues.”
In recent years, awareness and concern about the effects of a growing population has been increasing. As environmental advocates succeed at promoting new initiatives to reduce consumption, the resulting changes are jeopardized by more and more people doing the consuming. In People and the Planet, researchers recognize this complex connection: “Population is not only about the growing numbers of people: changes in age structure, migration, urbanization and population decline present both opportunities and challenges to human health, wellbeing and the environment.”
The world’s human population has doubled since 1970, reaching 7 billion in 2011. It could exceed 9 billion by 2050.
The Center for Biological Diversity is the only environmental group with a full-time campaign highlighting the connection between unsustainable human population growth and the ongoing extinction crisis for plants and animals around the world. Since 2010, it has handed out more than a half-million free Endangered Species Condoms as a part of its 7 Billion and Counting campaign to raise awareness about population and wildlife extinctions.
3 Comments on "Population is a Profound Challenge for People and Planet"
Kenz300 on Thu, 31st May 2012 7:58 pm
Access to family planning services needs to be available to all that want it. If you can not provide for yourself you can not provide for a child.
BillT on Fri, 1st Jun 2012 3:44 am
There will be no ‘profound challenge’. There will just be growth and collapse. You do not change a world overnight, or even years. It takes at least a generation to change education and attitudes.
By then the die-off will have been underway for years. No, we will never reach 9 billion. Not even 8 billion. And we will end up, by 2100 with less than 1 billion, I think. Maybe much less.
Lisa on Fri, 1st Jun 2012 1:43 pm
I think you are absolutely right BillT, I think a system reset is inevitable.
Kenz300, I suggest you read the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Living Planet Report 2012:
“If all of humanity lived like an average resident of Indonesia, only two-thirds of the planet’s biocapacity would be used; if everyone lived like an average Argentinean, humanity would demand more than half an additional planet; and if everyone lived like an average resident of the USA, a total of four Earths would be required to regenerate humanity’s annual demand on nature.”
“The immediate focus must be on drastically shrinking the Ecological Footprint of high-income populations… Changing dietary patterns among wealthy populations and reducing food waste are crucial.” — WWF Living Planet Report 2012″
The propaganda machine is on full steam ahead – the amount of “useless eaters” needs to be reduced and every scrap left on the table accumulated in the hands of the have-a-lots. US Government has decided to spend 3 billion tax dollars on reducing hunger in Africa which is interesting since 70% of malnourished people live in Asia. However, Africa has vast amounts of non-polluted, non-overexploited farmland just waiting for the likes of Monsanto and other Global nightmares to grab it and feast on it.