The Population Bomb

There has been some information out there about the world population going over 7 billion.  It brings up Thomas Malthus and his predictions of disaster due to population growth.

Here is a short article on the current status and the future project of population.  The writer says that the population will peak and then begin a descent toward....  The article author, Fred Pearce is a London-based environment journalist, whose most recent book is The Coming Population Crash.

Yes, a population crash will have its own problems, including major economic problems.

But, back to the coming peak, the author attributes the decrease in the increase of global population to women around the world, who have been having less children, now that children are likely to survive childhood, a recent situation.

The reason, I believe, is very simple. Women are having smaller families because for the first time in history they can.  In the 20th century, the world largely eradicated the diseases that used to kill off most children.  Today, most kids get to grow up.  Mothers no longer need to have five or six children to ensure the next generation.  Two or three is enough, and that is what they are choosing to have.

On the other hand, this change means that those children who are born are more highly valued.  We can see this in discussions with those who were born 70 years ago and can talk about walking along railroads and being allowed out in the woods by themselves or with other children.

And a hat tip to Tracey Perez Koehlmoos, PhD, MHA, for the link to this article.

Regards  —  Cliff