Article: The Human Population Grows Up
Author: Joel E. Cohen
The world population is rapidly increasing each year. Before the year 2000, young people outnumbered older people. After 2000, old people have now outnumbered young people. We went from 3 billion people in 1960 to 6.5 billion people in 2005. Today, we have 7.3 billion. However, our annual population growth rate is lower than it was before. The highest was from 1965 to 1970, with a population growth rate of 2.1%. The main reason for the population growth is because of developing nations. By 2050, the ration between the populations of developing nations and most developed nations will be 6 to 1. Although they have higher death rates than developed countries, they have much higher birth rates.
If we don't do something now, then we'll just keep increasing and eventually exceed the carrying capacity, which could lead to a mass extinction. The key to this problem is education! If we educate those in less developed nations, then we can prevent more people from being born every year since they'd be more conscious of the impact they're having on the planet by having many children and be more focused on their education. To fix this problem, I think we should work on the poverty crisis first because if we can transform the less developed countries to more developed, we might be able to decrease the population growth rate. One billion people are expected to be added every 13 or 14 years. We can stop the demise of our planet if we just work together and educate people!
Author: Joel E. Cohen
- Before 2000, young people outnumbered old people; after 2000, old people outnumbered young people
- People born in 2050 or later are expected to not live through a doubling of the human population
- 3 billion people in 1960 to 6.5 billion people in 2005
- Peak population rate was 2.1% a year from 1965 to 1970
- Couples limit the amount of children born= decline in global population growth
- By 2050, the ratio between the populations of developing nations and more developed nations will be 6:1
- One billion people will be added every 13 or 14 years
- By 2050, the world population is projected to be 9.1 billion, depending on future birth and death rates
- All population growth is expected to happen in the world's less developed regions like Afghanistan and Uganda
- Poorer countries have higher death rates, but also much higher birth rate
The world population is rapidly increasing each year. Before the year 2000, young people outnumbered older people. After 2000, old people have now outnumbered young people. We went from 3 billion people in 1960 to 6.5 billion people in 2005. Today, we have 7.3 billion. However, our annual population growth rate is lower than it was before. The highest was from 1965 to 1970, with a population growth rate of 2.1%. The main reason for the population growth is because of developing nations. By 2050, the ration between the populations of developing nations and most developed nations will be 6 to 1. Although they have higher death rates than developed countries, they have much higher birth rates.
If we don't do something now, then we'll just keep increasing and eventually exceed the carrying capacity, which could lead to a mass extinction. The key to this problem is education! If we educate those in less developed nations, then we can prevent more people from being born every year since they'd be more conscious of the impact they're having on the planet by having many children and be more focused on their education. To fix this problem, I think we should work on the poverty crisis first because if we can transform the less developed countries to more developed, we might be able to decrease the population growth rate. One billion people are expected to be added every 13 or 14 years. We can stop the demise of our planet if we just work together and educate people!