The issue now is really increasing resource consumption rather than increasing population.
Any developed nation ought to be seeing their population growth slow down a bit thanks to contraception and increasingly equal and status rights for women (thus supplying both the ability and the motivation to control child birth).
That is developed nations though. In nations where contraception is not widespread or is mistrusted and where women are not experiencing increasing educational and career prospects as men, we can presumably expect the same population boom to continue.
Are you disputing the general trend towards lower population growth in western nations?
I'd wager that the overall trend, even in the UK, will towards lower population growth provided that we work on the following two goals:
1) Work towards greater gender equality so women have an equal opportunity to pursue careers and interests that may conflict with having a family and thus cause them to delay having children (and have smaller numbers of children)
1) Work towards a more socio-economic equality so people from all income and class backgrounds have equal chance to achieve a good education and pursue the sorts of interests that may conflict with having a family too early.
So, basically:
1) Fund high quality equal opportunity state education, apprenticeships and training programmes (preferably life-long?) 2) Legislate to protect people against discrimination on grounds of gender, class and other marginalised traits 3) Work towards other cultural and societal changes that both allow everyone to develop aspirations and have those aspirations taken seriously and respected by others (no 'women can't be engineers' type prejudice)
It's very possible that we could screw this up, but the very general trend is in the right direction.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2014-06-15 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-15 12:09 am (UTC)Is there still pristine forest out there?
Any unendangered species anywhere?
Any virgin coral reef left?
no subject
Date: 2014-06-15 12:13 am (UTC)Any developed nation ought to be seeing their population growth slow down a bit thanks to contraception and increasingly equal and status rights for women (thus supplying both the ability and the motivation to control child birth).
That is developed nations though. In nations where contraception is not widespread or is mistrusted and where women are not experiencing increasing educational and career prospects as men, we can presumably expect the same population boom to continue.
no subject
Date: 2014-06-15 10:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-15 12:23 pm (UTC)I'd wager that the overall trend, even in the UK, will towards lower population growth provided that we work on the following two goals:
1) Work towards greater gender equality so women have an equal opportunity to pursue careers and interests that may conflict with having a family and thus cause them to delay having children (and have smaller numbers of children)
1) Work towards a more socio-economic equality so people from all income and class backgrounds have equal chance to achieve a good education and pursue the sorts of interests that may conflict with having a family too early.
So, basically:
1) Fund high quality equal opportunity state education, apprenticeships and training programmes (preferably life-long?)
2) Legislate to protect people against discrimination on grounds of gender, class and other marginalised traits
3) Work towards other cultural and societal changes that both allow everyone to develop aspirations and have those aspirations taken seriously and respected by others (no 'women can't be engineers' type prejudice)
It's very possible that we could screw this up, but the very general trend is in the right direction.
no subject
Date: 2014-06-15 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-15 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 03:01 am (UTC)I just think that Thomas Robert Malthus will eventually be vindicated.
no subject
Date: 2014-06-19 04:01 am (UTC)I think we will see the real problem when humans start living, on avg, 100+ years, some living to 200.
This may not be until I am too old, but I believe in the coming age of gene-therapy that slows aging so a 70 y/o will have the body of a 40 y/o.
no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 12:49 am (UTC)