OMNI
UNITED NATIONS WORLD POPULATION DAY #5
JULY 11, 2024
Compiled by Dick Bennett for a Culture of
Peace, Justice, and Ecology
Olivia Nater. “World Population Day 2024: Debunking Common
Population Myths.”
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July
11 is World Population Day, a United Nations observance day which seeks to
raise awareness of population issues. There are many myths and misconceptions
about population trends and their significance — let’s explore the facts.
—
Myth 1: Our population has already
stopped growing
Due
to countless headlines about declining birth rates, many believe our global
population has already stopped growing, and some even believe it is shrinking.
This is not true. While approximately half of
all countries now have fertility rates (the number of live births per woman) at
or below the replacement level of 2.1, the global rate still stands at
2.3. We passed the 8 billion milestone
in November 2022, and the United
Nations projects that our population will keep growing until
the 2080s, likely peaking above 10 billion, with no significant decline this
century.
Myth 2: Underpopulation is a greater
threat than overpopulation
Politicians
and economists fret about low or no population growth because this leads to
population aging and a smaller pool of consumers and taxpayers. Tech
billionaire Elon Musk went as far as claiming that low birth rates present “a
much bigger risk to civilization than global warming.”
Population
aging is an inevitable step towards a sustainable future, and while it does
present challenges, these can be lessened in very beneficial ways, such as
through investment in preventive healthcare and child welfare to maximize the
number of productive members of society. Our planet is finite — failing to rein
in our unhealthy addiction to infinite population and economic growth can only
lead to disaster.
You might also like: How Does Overpopulation Affect Sustainability? Challenges
and Solutions
Myth 3: There is plenty of space on
Earth for more people
A
surprisingly widespread argument is that there is enough room for many more
people because our entire world population could fit into the state of Texas.
Human Tetris is an amusing thought experiment but “fitting” into an area is not
the same as living, let alone thriving there. At the very least, everyone needs
water, food, shelter, and basic services such as education, sanitation, and
healthcare. We already use almost half of the Earth’s habitable land
just for agriculture — humanity needs a lot more space than just the size of
our bodies.
Myth 4: Overconsumption, not population
growth, is the real problem
Some
argue that environmental issues are entirely driven by overconsumption of
resources and excessive lifestyles, rather than population increase.
Consumerism in wealthy nations like the United States is undoubtedly a major
cause of climate change, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and pollution,
but it’s just half of the problem. Our impact on the environment is a product
of how many of us there are and how much each of us consumes.
In
countries where individuals’ environmental footprints are still small,
population pressure is often the primary driver of nature loss, and while
North America and Europe are responsible for the majority of historical
emissions that have precipitated the climate crisis, populous China and India
are now the first and third biggest national emitters, respectively.
According
to the Global Footprint Network, if we achieve a population of 7.7
billion by 2050 instead of the 9.7 billion we are headed towards, we could move
Earth Overshoot Day – the day on which humanity has used up all the resources
the planet can regenerate in a year – back by 49 days, which makes it the second most
powerful of their proposed solutions,
after decarbonizing our economies. An analysis of all available climate
solutions by Project Drawdown found that slowing population growth
by removing barriers to family planning and girls’ education would prevent
around 69 gigatons of CO2 by 2050,
representing the third most effective action to limit
warming to 2C, after cutting food waste and adopting plant-based diets.
More on the topic: What Is Earth Overshoot Day?
Myth 5: We can’t solve the population
problem ethically
A
huge misconception is that ending population growth can only be achieved
through coercion. The most effective solution, as mentioned above, is the empowerment
of women and girls. Wherever women have access to family planning and
reproductive health services, and are free to pursue educational and career
opportunities, fertility rates plummet. Unfortunately, there are still an
estimated 257 million women globally with an unmet
need for modern contraception, and almost half of
women in developing regions have no decision-making power over their own
bodies.
Advancing
women’s right to choose what happens to their bodies and lives is morally
essential in its own right, but sadly chronically underfunded.
By demonstrating how empowering women is also key to achieving sustainability,
we can leverage much-needed investment.
TAGGED: CONSUMERISM GLOBAL POPULATION OVERPOPULATION POPULATION DECLINE WORLD POPULATION DAY
Olivia
Nater is the Communications Manager at Population Connection, the largest grassroots
population organization in the United States that educates young people and
advocates progressive action to stabilize world population at a level that can
be sustained by Earth’s resources. [John
Seager, CEO of Population Connection, recommended the article to me. –Dick]
World Population Day |
United Nations
Welcome to the United Nations
https://www.un.org › observances ›
world-population-day
In
2011, the global
population reached the 7 billion mark, it
stands at almost 7.9 billion in 2021, and it's expected to grow to around 8.5
billion in 2030, 9.7 ...
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World Population Day - Background
https://www.un.org ›
observances › background
The
Day was first marked on 11
July 1990 in more than 90 countries.
Since then, a number of a number of UNFPA country offices and other
organizations and ...
Thank you for participating
in the World Population Day and the launch of Demographic Dividend Report and
State of the World Population Report. 🧡 #WorldPopulationDay #datainclusivity
United
Nations Population Fund
https://www.unfpa.org ›
events › world-population-day
World Population Day ... “For humanity to progress, people must be counted, wherever they
are and whoever they are – in all their diversity,” Dr. Natalia Kanem, ...
rWorld Population Day 2024: Theme and UN Secretary General's Message for
this year
https://en.wikipedia.org ›
wiki › World_Population_Day
World
Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues.
World Population Day: July 11, 2024
https://www.census.gov ›
newsroom › stories › world-p...
The
U.S. Census Bureau's International Database estimates the world population will reach 9 billion in 2037.
https://www.un.org ›
global-issues › population
The
global human population reached 8.0 billion in mid-November 2022 from an estimated 2.5 billion people in 1950, adding 1 billion people
since 2010 and 2 ...
https://www.compassion.com ›
... › Causes to Support
World
Population Day (July 11) is a day to raise awareness about world population trends and global
demographic issues affecting sustainable development.
https://unhabitat.org ›
events › world-population-day-1
World
Population Day is celebrated annually on 11 July to focus
attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.
Space for Humanity
World Population Day
2024: Ensuring Everyone is Counted. This year’s theme emphasizes using data to
understand issues, tailor solutions, and drive progress. As we democratize
space access, let’s use data for a just, resilient, and sustainable world. Celebrate
#WorldPopulationDay
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