According to Dr. Hans Rosling, an expert statistician, in a TED Conversation thread (excerpts):
1. "We face many environmental challenges, but the foremost is the risk for a severe climate change due to CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
I meet so many that think population growth is a major problem in regard to climate change. But the number of children born per year in the world has stopped growing since 1990. The total number of children below 15 years of age in the world are now relatively stable around 2 billion. The populations with an increasing amount of children born are fully compensated by other populations with a decreasing number of children born. A final increase of 2 billion people is expected until the world population peaks at about 9 billion in 2050. But the increase with 2 billion is comprised by already existing persons growing up to become adults, and old people like me (+60 years). So when I hear people saying that population growth has to be stopped before reaching 9 billion, I get really scared, because the only way to achieve that is by killing.
So the addition of another 2 billion in number constitutes a final increase of less than 30%, and it is inevitable. Beyond 2050 the world population may start to decrease if women across the world will have, on average, less than 2 children. But that decrease will be slow.
So the fact is that we have to plan for a common life on Earth with 7-9 billion fellow human beings, and the environmental challenge must be met by a more effective use of energy and a much more green production of energy.
The only thing that can change this is if the last 1-2 poorest billion do not get access to school, electricity, basic health services and family planning. Only if the horror of poverty remains will we become more than 9 billion.
So my question is: Are these facts known? If not, why?
It is important because placing emphasis on population diverts attention from what has to be done to limit the climate crisis."
I meet so many that think population growth is a major problem in regard to climate change. But the number of children born per year in the world has stopped growing since 1990. The total number of children below 15 years of age in the world are now relatively stable around 2 billion. The populations with an increasing amount of children born are fully compensated by other populations with a decreasing number of children born. A final increase of 2 billion people is expected until the world population peaks at about 9 billion in 2050. But the increase with 2 billion is comprised by already existing persons growing up to become adults, and old people like me (+60 years). So when I hear people saying that population growth has to be stopped before reaching 9 billion, I get really scared, because the only way to achieve that is by killing.
So the addition of another 2 billion in number constitutes a final increase of less than 30%, and it is inevitable. Beyond 2050 the world population may start to decrease if women across the world will have, on average, less than 2 children. But that decrease will be slow.
So the fact is that we have to plan for a common life on Earth with 7-9 billion fellow human beings, and the environmental challenge must be met by a more effective use of energy and a much more green production of energy.
The only thing that can change this is if the last 1-2 poorest billion do not get access to school, electricity, basic health services and family planning. Only if the horror of poverty remains will we become more than 9 billion.
So my question is: Are these facts known? If not, why?
It is important because placing emphasis on population diverts attention from what has to be done to limit the climate crisis."
2. "The population growth we expect in the next 40 years are adults and old people that are already born. They will replace an earlier generation that was smaller, but the number of children born per year has already stopped growing since 20 years back.
So how would you avoid the final increase with 2 billion more. I can only see to options forcing 1 child policy upon young couples ... We should see it to that all have access to family planning, as an estimate 30 million of the children born each year are estimated to be unplanned. But 30 million per year is 300 million per decade and about a billion until 2050 so indeed with Utopian success in family planning we can avoid one of the two extra billion. But what more can we do? Already are 40 million abortions done per year. And had that not been the case during the last generation we would have been one more billion now. So the worlds women are already doing more abortions than they are giving births to unplanned children." (http://bit.ly/HansPop, gapminder.org)
Is it easier to foucs on the population than the thorny issue of climate change because the latter is embedded in our economic systems? But are we also aware that missing our climate change targets will cause more problems to our planet and to the population?
Can we take a look back and see that we, the people empower the system of government and business that is supposed to take care of everybody and our planet? We empower our institutions and we work in this institutions but why don't we all get in return our basic rights and a healthy planet?
What part of our solutions need more effort?
Solution 1. Resolve
crisis and global risks that may further weaken our world. (UN MDG (un.org), WEF Risks Response Network
(weforum.org), UN climate change conference, key nation's influence on global
security and stability, etc.)
Solution 2. Transformation of our
economic systems into an equitable and earth-sustainable economic model. (WEF Global
Redesign Initiative, businesses and governments, NGOs)
Solution 3. Formulation and
implementation of global transformation strategies of our industries. (WEF,
businesses and governments, NGOs)
Solution 4. Information campaigns
to bring more awareness to people and strengthen our political resolve.:
- more participation in our electoral process
and constant dialog with our
political representatives
- social networks (TED.com, Facebook, etc.)
- political and economic information and social
network system to strengthen transparency and accountability
Solution 5. Information campaigns
to bring more awareness to what we can contribute individually, locally or as a
nation (TED.com, carbon footprint awareness, influence of our buying habits, etc.).
We also need an information system for solution and reform activities and see our progress and identify activities that needs more effort.
We also need an information system for solution and reform activities and see our progress and identify activities that needs more effort.
The premise of this website is to spearhead two
key solutions that will help improve understanding, cooperation and our power to transform and leave our true legacy:
(1) translate and contribute the power of our beliefs and convictions into the simple universal language of our mutual
interests and
wield it as a driving force to transform our world and (2) we energize our hearts, we energize each other, we energize our hearts and minds and help transform our world (TED.com, etc.)
This is the challenge to leave our mark and our legacy in this troubled world. We take stock of our current power and influence and see what part of our solutions we can push and together we shall transform our world and leave a lasting and happy legacy for our children.
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