Welcome to our new blog. With so many blogs in the world today, why should the Population Resource Center have a blog? The answer is simple: population counts…and no one—well, almost no one—is talking about it.
Population, of course, has always counted, but population trends matter today in ways that policymakers and opinion leaders appear reluctant to talk about. Many people assume that declining fertility rates have taken the issue of population off the table, but population growth and other demographic trends are still reshaping our world. Population change remains as relevant as ever to the policy debate, whether it’s the demographic pressures that are de-stabilizing countries like Somalia and Pakistan, the population pressures that are straining water resources in various parts of the world, or the demographic aging of nations like the United States and Japan.
Population counts. The impact of population change—whether its population growth or just changing demographics—deserves a full and honest discussion.
Fortunately, some people are talking about population. Wherever he goes these days—whether he is talking about climate change, disaster relief or immigration—former president Clinton has been telling audiences that the world’s population will grow from 6.5 billion to 9 billion by 2050. Here’s what he told a commencement audience earlier this year at the University of Michigan:
Perhaps most important, this world is unsustainable because of climate change and resource depletion, which is not as much talked about, but may bite your future even before the most severe aspects of climate change. The erosion of drinkable water, of topsoil, of trees, the disappearance of plant and animal species at the most rapid rate certainly in human history, and perhaps for hundreds of thousands of years before, all of this will happen at a time when the world's population is projected to grow from 6.5 to 9 billion people by 2050, and almost all of that growth will occur in countries least able economically to support new people. That is the world you will live in. It's going to be great for you, but you have to try to change it, because it's unequal, unstable, and unsustainable.
Clinton’s repeated reference to the population challenge, however, has yet to generate much comment or debate. His comments, in fact, stand in sharp contract to the question and answer posed by Chevron in a recent ad campaign:
The world is growing by more than 70 million people a year. So is that a problem, or a solution? With out our planet’s population continuing to increase, and the quality of life for millions in the developing world improving daily, our demand for energy is growing. And to meet everyone’s needs 25 years from now may take 50% more energy than we use today….The key to ensuring success is found in the same place that created this need: humanity itself….The problem….becomes the solution.
Maybe. Maybe human ingenuity will solve all the challenges posed by projected population growth, but finding solutions should start with a frank and thorough discussion of the challenges we face….not with advertising spin.
In the weeks and months ahead, I will be posting stories and comments about the challenges posed by all aspects of population change…not just population growth. I hope that our readers will contribute to the discussion. We all have something to learn. I look forward to hearing from you. Population counts.
