In 1999, there was a survey done and showed there was about 6 billion in the world. The growing rate per year is about 1.9%, where before it was only 0.8% in about 1950. Between the years of 1950-1987, the world's population had doubled from 2.5 to about 5 billion. There was about an addition of 50 million people in the world in the year of 1950. By 1975 it had increased by 75 million then by 1992 it had increased by 93 million people. The United Nations believe that by 2050 we could have around 7.9 to 10.9 billion people on the Earth if we don't take any action now. No one had noticed that the population had increased so rapidly. Everything started around the 20th century where it just grew exponentially.
The fastest growing rate in a country is 90% and that is because this is coming from poorer countries. Developed countries made up one third of the world's population in 1950, but by 2100 they will make up only less then a quarter while only contributing 13%. One reason also for there being more people is because of people living longer due to improved food, health care and sanitation. In the last 30 years life expectancy increased in East Asia by 30 years and also in Africa by 15 years. In developed countries however, there isn't a high increase in population where it's only at a 43% growth instead of the 150% in developing countries.
Many people do think we have enough resources, but the rate we are taking them then we won't have anything when 2025 comes. Consumption reductionists say that we should be responsible for the environmental degradation, the big consumers, and who should be the people who should change their lifestyle. The richer countries are also at fault since they try to gain population control to countries with high birth rates.
http://www.informaction.org/cgi-bin/gPage.pl?menu=menua.txt&main=population_gen.txt&s=Population%20growth
http://www.squidoo.com/conservation_v_population
http://postgrowth.org/population-and-consumption-two-sides-of-one-coin/
Comments:
http://crisicoscienceblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/genetic-diversity-in-food-we-eat.html?showComment=1302097575844#c2330549152339969146
http://vilmabioblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/growing-population-vs-conserving.html?showComment=1302098147827#c5780320761748621971
