7Billion and counting

A neighbouring estate in Oxford is about to expand, with another 2000 homes. In our own neighbourhood redevelopment will result in more flats and houses being built. A similar situation is probably occurring in other towns and cities across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

Across countries in the third world there are more and more famines, even in more developed countries of the world like India and Mexico there are families living on the edge, struggling to find enough food to eat, clean water to drink and safe housing to live in.

We recently saw the world population reach 7billion people, with the United Nations estimating that it will reach 8billion by 2025 and 10billion by 2083, with the largest growth in Africa, which is possibly one of the areas least able to support such a growth.

Unless there is a worldwide sudden acceptance of the use of GM crops to increase yield and reduce damage by pests we will soon reach a point, if it has not been reached already, where it takes longer to produce food than it does to consume it. By that I mean that it may take 14 months, for example, to keep the world population alive for 12 months. At that point we will have reached a position that is unsustainable.

The impact of overpopulation

All these people consuming all those resources are having a significant impact on the environment. With more carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere global warming is getting worse. The ozone hole is growing, the world is getting warmer, ice caps are melting and species are becoming extinct all over the planet.

What can be done?

More Resources

If we could provide all the people  with all the food, water and energy they need then that would certainly help. However, with fossil fuels running out and a large proportion of the population unwilling to support nuclear power then energy may not be available.
Similarly, the reason why countries like China support the use of genetically modified rice is that they can see the potential it has for feeding their growing population. Until the rest of the world, particulary the West see the benefits then we will not be able to feed the increasing numbers of people.
Although crops can be genetically modified to survive better in drier, wetter, hotter or colder climates there are limits to what can be done. Therefore, it may still not be possible to feed all the people in famine hit areas such as Africa. If the rest of the world are struggling to feed their own populations can they afford to feed and support other countries?

Fewer People

A tremendously hot topic in its own right.
Couples, already on benefit, are having multiple children and expecting the state to support them – putting strain on the economy and helping to raise taxes for the rest of the population.  While couples who are unable to have children (for whatever reason) often expect the state to fund IVF treatment.
Surely a better option would be for the couples having all the children but unable to afford to look after them all should put them up for adoption so that those couples unable to have children could adopt one or two. This from someone who is, themselves, adopted.
Should we go down the road that China has and try to limit families to one child each – with the result that unwanted female babies are left to die in the street? Probably not.

But something has to be done. We need to face up to the problems of overpopulation and the dangers we are placing ourselves in, as individuals, the human species and the world in general.