More on population!

CHILD-BIRTH STRIKE: Women in most countries worldwide are choosing to have significantly fewer children than they did 100 years ago. What does this mean for the future of humanity?

Fred Pearce looks deeply into this issue in his book The Coming Population Crash: And Our Planet’s Surprising Future, which came out in April 2010. BEACON PRESS

Raghu, Dr. Raghuveer Moudgal, seeing that I was concerned about Indian population growth sent me this link: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-reproductive-revoluti

I guess he wanted me to feel a little better! The article, excerpts from a book, says that the population growth is indeed on a downward trend and the world population would level around 9 Billion by the middle of this century. It has elicited a number of comments which shows that people do take population growth issues seriously. Opposite views about how, in some sections of India and other developing countries and of religions opposed to birth control, women would not be permitted to choose this option of having fewer children reduced my euphoria!

While the message tries to reassure, the numbers are still huge and I get nervous thinking about another 50% being added all across. Especially as the forecast being optimistic, growth could go higher. In any case the numbers for India would surely be higher and predictably those below the poverty line would continue to swell!

I was talking to Raghu (Lt.Gen.D. Raghunath) about this and he felt that the situation could create tensions as the ratios would be skewed towards religious and other groups which encouraged people to have more offspring!

I suppose the teeming (or swarming?) millions would still find a way to survive and those who managed these swarms of people would continue to flourish!

(It is nice to have Mouli (Chandramouli Narsipur) and one more Raghu commenting on my blog as well. Hope they keep it up.)