When ever I see a headline about “plunging birthrates” it makes me happy. That’s because I look at things like carrying capacity and ecological footprint. Things like species extinction, loss of biodiversity, top soil erosion, access to clean water, energy depletion, deforestation and a list a mile and half long.
Interestingly the US has bucked the trend of the other mature industrialized countries. Thankfully most the world’s population growth is in dramatic decline that started in the 60s, with some going negative. All studies indicate this trend will continue and is speeding up. Max population numbers continually get lower as time goes on and data comes it. The best estimates now suggest a peak near mid-century, probably under 9 billion, and long decline after that.
This trend still does nothing to address the issues associated with massive over consumption and unsustainable nature of the whole project spiraling towards a social train wreck. For some reason, pointing this out, makes me a freak.
Interestingly, we have pushed this behavioral trajectory on “emerging economies” putting them on a collision course with the west in resource competition. Well, unless, we are going to get another earth to support these trajectories, it won’t end well.
