World Population to Surpass 7 Billion in 2011

[Tank]

World Population to Surpass 7 Billion in 2011; Explosive Population Growth Means Challenges for Developing Nations

ScienceDaily (July 28, 2011) — Global population is expected to hit 7 billion later this year, up from 6 billion in 1999. Between now and 2050, an estimated 2.3 billion more people will be added -- nearly as many as inhabited the planet as recently as 1950. New estimates from the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations also project that the population will reach 10.1 billion in 2100...

I despair when I read things like this. We are so successful at breeding we will eat every other creature out of existence, except those we keep to eat.

[OldGit]

^ Until the big crash comes, anyway.

[Whitney]

Considering that we already are having problems getting food to some parts of the world I think our numbers will be naturally capped soon....unfortunately a natural cap is achieved via people dying of starvation and disease.  I'm wondering how it might change people's views towards birth control, abortion, and laws which limit the number of children a family can have.

[roy1967]

I agree with Whitney.

Saw a documentary recently, which suggested that without fossil fuels, and the incredible things we have done with them, the planet can support about 1 billion people.  Petroleum, and petroleum based products have enabled us to support so many.  The population explosion really began after the industrial revolution.

Unless we take steps to bring the population down, this planet will fix the problem itself, and it will be messy.  We are seeing the true first stages right now in Somalia, and it's going to get worse.

We are like an infestation on the earth right now.

[DeterminedJuliet]

It might sound crazy, but part of the reason why my husband and I are only having one child is because we want to leave the world with fewer humans after we're gone (I guess, ideally, we would have adopted or had no kids, but that wasn't really feasible for us). The environmental impact of more humans was a concern for us.

I would never, ever say anything, but I'm always really curious if people with very large families even think about it. I realize there are so, so many considerations that go into having a child but, I wonder if it even crosses some people's minds.

[ThinkAnarchy]

Considering that we already are having problems getting food to some parts of the world I think our numbers will be naturally capped soon....unfortunately a natural cap is achieved via people dying of starvation and disease.  I'm wondering how it might change people's views towards birth control, abortion, and laws which limit the number of children a family can have.

Well I know I will never support child limit laws. I do however agree that birth control and abortion are net positives. I certainly don't like seeing people having 8 children, especially when they are on welfare on top of it. I would never support the laws so many on this forum seem to support though, even if there was mass starvation and disease.

[Tank]

Another article Population to Bulge, But Will Hit Ceiling

These paragraphs caught my eye, and in particular the bolded element.

If every woman had two babies, the world's population would remain stable. Today, there is a global average of 2.5 births per woman -- down from five in 1950. That comes with huge geographical variation.

In Japan, China and Europe, women are having fewer than two babies, while women in many developing countries are still having five or more. Ninety-seven percent of the projected population increase over the next century is expected to happen in developing nations, according to a review article in Science by David Bloom, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Nearly half of the growth will be in Africa.

Women who matter more to society and are given access to education, according to previous research, end up having fewer children. Informing people about contraception and making it available also make a big difference, and not just in places like Africa, where a disproportionately large population of young people is exacerbating problems like school overcrowding and unemployment. In the United States, Bongaarts said, about 15 percent of births are unwanted.

The depressing part about the highlighted bit is that if one donates to keeping kids alive in developing nations is the thought that all I'm doing is keeping them alive so their kids or grandchildren can go through the same thing in the future.

[The Magic Pudding]

Don't worry about it, god will sort it out, he's due back any time now.

[Hidelight]

Part of my job is contraceptive management of women....I talk to men as well but who comes in to talk to a nures about condom use? NEVER women....
What am I trying to say anyway? Pardon this point is very important to me

When I was 11 years old my mother opened the very first birth control clinic my home state...it was a piece of hidden history down in the basement of an obsectric hospital in a Roman Catholic neighborhood

We had death threats..my parents are huge supporters always have been of of public schools...because of prayer and actual danger of sending me there when they were making such a huge not so well accepted stand in this comminty..I was in danger of being ridiculed..or worse as you could imagine... So because they did not pray ...that was the best they could do back then...were huge social liberals pacifists, supported a woman' right to choose her reproductive future...and taught a lot of political/social idealsthat may parents supported... I was put in private Quaker school....thank you parents for that! I lived in a community and time when women went to great lengths to hide their effort to control reproduction not only from husbands but the entire community!  My mother tried to explain how their religion prevented the use of birth control ..

Flash forward ...many years...I still am doing what my mother did...helping women get something that will be harder and harder to obtain with no money...girls hiding from families and community ..or just having more babies because ...well "what's another baby"?..I work with Somali woman who tell me they would have the shit knocked out of them if their ...mothers ...fathers...husbands...friends...whomever in the community finds out...they ate shunned from all they know in life because they want to control reproduction

Ok rqmble ramble...sorry this is a subject I know is a huge globel issue ...but honestly on a micro issue is where changes have to be made..

When I talk to my mother..all our conversations end in politics..it is our "religion" She tells me not to compare how history will be written to what one generation can do..or even..two or three...she does get frustrated but never fatalistic.. that the world has not accepted the need to control the population with education and intervention in advance with birth by choice not religious obligation...( Funny people who do not belive in reproductive will kill so many in the name of "god" huh.)

I love my parents dearly...even as a grandmother I fight the same battle ...I feel good if I can help woman ..in spite of the horrific pressure to have kids...avoid the birth of one unwanted baby? May not seem like much in the big picture...but what else can we do?...we are in dire need of controling the worlds population....parents are right...history is not alway made in one generation...because I do not see a cause won does not mean it will not be...so I keep going...support locally and vote globally


Obviously zero population growth it a big issue for me and mine...sorry to take so much space! No to population contol laws that is just as bad...but yes to reproductive freedom and choice... really the main barrier to success is oppression of women related to fucked up religious interpretation

I am so fking tired of "but the (insert holy book here) says"


thank you ...cord struck!

[Sweetdeath]

It's such a serious issue, which is crazy why even in 2011, we seem to be going backwards.  People need to be educated about condoms and other forms of birth control.

I don't see ANY reason why it's wrong to educate people. I  was taught sex ed in 7th grade (13yrs old) but I still didn't care about sex until I was in my late teens. I thonk some religious people think teaching sex ed makes someone want to jump into bed right away.

People care about sex right after puberty, but it doesn't mean they are necessarily going to do it.  Wouldn't it be better to inform everyone, so when the time comes, no matter what age--  they can make a very educated choice? 

It is very sad, but I live in a hugely spanish Catholic and black neighborhood where retty much everyone under the age of 21  has at least one child. They all walk together in large groups. It's terrible.

I am for child rescriction laws, but instead of such extremes, we really, really need to just educate more people, because geez.....there are just way too many dumb ones out yhere who just don't care.

[Tank]

The confounding variable here is natural selection. It works on reproduction, it is a mindless and has no compassion. If thick selfish people reproduce then there will be more thick selfish people, who will reproduce. The availability of food and water and a lack of disease facilitate human reproduction. If we don't limit our reproduction it will simply be done for us at some point by the availability of food, water and medical care. If the required reduction in reproduction can be achieved through voluntary action great, if not the alternatives are legislation or famine/plagues.

[ThinkAnarchy]

I'm also curious as to what nations you all would support controlling birth rates. According to the article, most developed nations will continue to have a virtually stable population. So, do you support only African countries and other 3rd world nations controlling birth rates or the developed world as well?

Regardless, I think it's complete B.S. The African countries likely wouldn't have this problem if it weren't for the missionaries. The problem is not that they aren't using contraceptives and the like, but merely that they were influenced by western idiots.

[Sweetdeath]

Missionaries in Africa are the worst. They don't educate people, they just keep them stupid about issues that can be changed.

[Tank]

I'm also curious as to what nations you all would support controlling birth rates. According to the article, most developed nations will continue to have a virtually stable population. So, do you support only African countries and other 3rd world nations controlling birth rates or the developed world as well?

Regardless, I think it's complete B.S. The African countries likely wouldn't have this problem if it weren't for the missionaries. The problem is not that they aren't using contraceptives and the like, but merely that they were influenced by western idiots.

It would be interesteing to find some facts about birthrates in pre and post missionary exposure.

[Hidelight]

The sad thing is after dealing with a billion excuses for people "accidently" having kids...what I have found is sad..even today ...the value imposed on woman in many religious as well as cultural settings...is to reproduce...your value as a woman is based on the babies you bring into this world...and the sex of the child is still relative to how valuable you are! How valuable you are.... value as a man is how many children you can sire...


Common story for me..aside from refugees who come from a place were literally they are vehicles for childbirth...also there is the young white girl (one that came to me recently) she has three kids one given up for adoption...one living with dad...the latest because " I wanted to be the first to give him a son" she was speaking of an unemployed "I got other things that are more important to do..(sell dope)" asshole who had three girls with other women...this little girl's self  worth is based on the fact tha she produced a son for a deadbeat drug dealer?   she was born and raised in the US ...abortion to her is murdering a child and the way to get and keep a man is be a baby maker?


As long as a woman's worth is based on the number and sex of the kids she has...the battle is a rough one!



Now honestly...the more education the less I see this...with refugee families..I notice things improve as the kids become more educated about reproductive freedom...they do defy the "community" at great risk ...to avoid early marriage and kids..