A preview of the unpublished book A CIVILIZATION WITHOUT A VISION WILL PERISH: AN INDEPENDENT SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH by David Willis. CHAPTER 1: INDIFFERENCE (Part 4)
In 2011, Ian Chambers and John Humble published Developing A Plan for the Planet: A Business Plan for Sustainable Living. Below is a summary of chapter 2: Executive Brief No. 1: Population Growth
Chapter 2: Executive Brief No. 1: Population Growth
The current situation
unrestrained population growth on Planet Earth is unsustainable
in many places population growth is a result of lack of knowledge of family planning techniques, female education opportunities, and availability of family planning resources
population growth is uneven, with some European countries experiencing population declines which may lead to rethinking immigration policies
governments and international organizations have an important role to play
population has trebled in a lifetime from 2.5 billion people in 1950 to 6.8 billion in 2009
half of the population on Planet Earth is under 25 years old
population is increasing at 80 million or 1.2% per year or 221,000 per day
the UN has three estimates of population in 2050, based on high, medium and low fertility rates: 8 billion; 9.2 billion; and 10.8 billion
the population of most developed countries is expected to reduce or remain almost unchanged
Russia is a dramatic example where a population decrease of 22% is forecast by 2050 due to low birth rates and increased death rates in a rapidly aging population
most underdeveloped countries are forecast to increase their populations by almost 50% by 2050
the growth pattern in developing countries is driven by migration from developing to developed countries, projected to average 2.4 million people annually
aid donors agreed to provide $6.1 billion a year for reproductive and health programs in 2005 but this was only one-third of the total needs
in the Philippines cuts in US aid for family planning contributed to both unwanted population growth and the maintenance of poverty in poor regions
the UN states that if current rates of growth continue until 2300 there would be over 100 billion people on Planet Earth
the Human Footprint Team has calculated that the world is overpopulated by two billion – the difference between its actual population and the number it can support sustainably, given current lifestyles and technologies
impacts are: decreasing resources with increasing populations; fatal consequences for Planet Earth’s ecosystems; increased greenhouse gas emissions; increased migration; increased urbanization
continued population growth is now being increasingly acknowledged to be unsustainable by world leadership
11% of today’s population of about 6.8 billion are over the age of 60, rising to 22% in developed countries and 33% in developing countries by 2050 when the population will have grown to about 9 billion people, placing a heavy burden on younger people as they care for the elderly
Opportunities: universal access to reproductive health services; a focus on high population growth in developing countries; female education
Best practice – Iran: in the early 1990s, Iran developed an effective approach to stabilizing population growth in a country that was previously experiencing high fertility rates. Population growth was halved between 1987 and 1994, to a level of 1.3%, through a national program of family planning policies and education programs in a largely Muslim population
The role of government: think global; act local
The role of business: communication; education; health care
the role of people: local community support programs; healthcare and social security; understanding
better education and empowering of women is one of the most effective ways of reducing fertility rates and therefore population growth