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Page added on August 11, 2011
Number-crunching the world population and resource shortages
As the global population hurtles towards the 7 billion mark this year, people are asking whether the world has enough natural resources and food supplies to sustain that many of us.
But a book due out in September – ‘The No-Nonsense Guide to World Population’ – says when it comes to resource shortages people should focus not so much on the amount of people living on the planet, but on how people live and share their supplies.
In her book, published by New Internationalist, author Vanessa Baird delves into topics including women’s reproductive rights, the growing elderly population and global warming as she argues it’s not all about the numbers.
“[The book] challenges us all to rethink what the drivers of resource shortages, land degradation and global warming actually are,” says David Satterthwaite, from the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Following are some statistics explored in the book:
– The world population is expected to peak around 2050 before declining and stabilising
– Fertility rates worldwide are declining
– Iran has had the world’s fastest fertility decline – at 1.9 children per woman today from 6.6 in 1970
– The current world population could fit in an area the size of Texas
– In 2009 there were 700 million people over 60. This is expected to rise to 2,000 million by 2050
4 Comments on "Number-crunching the world population and resource shortages"
sunweb on Thu, 11th Aug 2011 2:32 pm
Numbers don’t make reality. The map is not the territory. If we all move into Texas, I want the toilet paper concession.
If we don’t blow ourselves off the face of the earth in the struggle for diminishing scarce resources, humanity will survive. We are a powerfully resourceful and inventive animal. However, if we don’t address the issues below then in the long run it will be same old, same old. We will repeat what all animals do and what is particular to us humans.
As an expression of life, as a representative animal and as ourselves, we are exactly how we would end up. We are not dysfunctional, as some would have it. We did not take a wrong turn in the past, ten thousand years ago at the agricultural revolution. We are not a cancer on the earth and we are not disconnected from our environment.
There are several natural factors that have aimed us at this particular moment in human history, where population pushes against resource availability, where as a social animal we stand against each other, where we are immersed in an environment of our own creative making and where our brilliance threatens us.
From: http://sunweber.blogspot.com/2011/05/we-are-here.html
DC on Thu, 11th Aug 2011 6:34 pm
That stupid texas comment again. Dont any of the people realize that Texas is is
A) In the midst of a persistent and severe drought.
B) Its former(ly) large oil reserves are more gone than not.
C) Texas is full of heat, bugs, well-armed and barely educated christan fanatics, ie the governor.
Why do people that should know better keep thinking everyone in the world would want to all move to texas of all places so they can stand shoulder-to-shoulder and talk about how awesome unchecked population growth is?
And stop parroting fertility rates are declineing. Its not really good news anymore. Places like china and india dont need large birthrates to add huge amounts o people any longer. Even a 1% birthrate with a billion+ hundus is a disaster. Even amerika with its disasterous near 2% growth rate is going to add over 100 million in the next few decades alone…
Kenz300 on Thu, 11th Aug 2011 8:14 pm
Too many people and too little resources.
Playing musical chairs is fun unless you end up without a chair. The same is true with food, water, oil and jobs. It is a cold cruel world if you do not have access to the necessities. The worlds resources have never been shared equally. We could not solve the worlds problems of poverty hunger and despair when the world had 5 billion people and adequate resources. We will not be able to solve those problems in a world of 9 billion people and limited resources. Endless population growth is a recipe for disaster.
Greg on Fri, 12th Aug 2011 6:48 am
Bring on Peak Oil! Should solve this problem rather neatly. The world population should be around 1 Billion not on 6 and higher. Peak Oil and “No oil” should take care of that rather neatly. Scientists figured out another way to stop people dying today. Thanks again scientists. Just what we need. More people! Todays pearl. Reduce your salt intake. They’ve informed the UN who will of course ensure the africans pick up this pearl and run with it so they get even more over populated and down trodden. Frigging capitilism. It sucks!