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Number-crunching the world population and resource shortages

by Rebekah Curtis | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Thursday, 11 August 2011 09:55 GMT

* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

In the face of global resources shortages we should focus on how we live, not just blame population growth, book argues

As the global population hurtles towards the 7 billion mark this year, people are asking whether the world has enough natural resources and food supplies to sustain that many of us.

But a book due out in September – ‘The No-Nonsense Guide to World Population’ – says when it comes to resource shortages people should focus not so much on the amount of people living on the planet, but on how people live and share their supplies.

In her book, published by New Internationalist, author Vanessa Baird delves into topics including women's reproductive rights, the growing elderly population and global warming as she argues it’s not all about the numbers.

“[The book] challenges us all to rethink what the drivers of resource shortages, land degradation and global warming actually are,” says David Satterthwaite, from the International Institute for Environment and Development.

 

Following are some statistics explored in the book:

- The world population is expected to peak around 2050 before declining and stabilising

- Fertility rates worldwide are declining

- Iran has had the world’s fastest fertility decline – at 1.9 children per woman today from 6.6 in 1970

- The current world population could fit in an area the size of Texas

- In 2009 there were 700 million people over 60. This is expected to rise to 2,000 million by 2050

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