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< Return to People Home Population Growth Humans currently number just over 6 billion, an increase since 1950 of 3.5 billion. The latest projections indicate the world population leveling off at around 8.5 billion within the next 50 years. How we manage our resources as the world's population not only increases in numbers but also in prosperity will govern whether or not this number of people is too much for the world's ecosystems to handle. In certain regions of the world, overpopulation is clearly a problem, with water scarcity and insufficient food production a direct result of too many people. Globalization Globalization is the inevitable result of the transportation and communication revolutions. It can be defined as the growing economic interdependence of countries around the world, and the functional withering away of national borders. The dark side of globalization is the extinction of languages and cultures that lack the numerical mass or technological prowess to survive the onslaught of global media and commerce. Letter to the Editor How are we making these people feel? I understand that they require help and I may be naive in saying this but doesn't their self worth first require a boost. When people are feeling happier they are leading healthier and more productive lives. I am from the school that says in this life we are here to help others emotionally, physically and spiritually." Literacy Increased literacy is essential in order to raise environmental consciousness worldwide. Knowledge intensive agriculture (as contrasted to chemical intensive), ecosystem management, birth control, entrepreneurship, democracy and technology are all benefits that can only be realized by a literate population. Energy Consumption Environmental Consciousness Increasing awareness worldwide of environmental issues facing the planet is the most significant environmental issue of all. The interactive relationship between ecological health and economic prosperity has been inverted. In the short run, it is true that economic growth comes at the expense of the environment, but in the long run ecological health and economic health are interdependent. The environmental consciousness of a society will govern how quickly any other environmental issues are met. |