THOMAS PITTS
As the earth begins to reach a human population of over 7.5 billion and counting, numerous groups have formed globally to oppose an ever expanding population, which they believe is detrimental to the earth and the current living population.
Many of the concerns raised by Population Matters organisation include the situation in many countries deteriorating because there just isn’t enough of the planet’s resources to go around, a limited water supply, limited energy supplies and an exploding food demand.
A quick snapshot of the facts from Population Matters facts page indicates that as the human population increases there will be a continual struggle to maintain living standards.
Conflicts for resources are possible as history shows increases in levels of starvation, continual mass poverty, water scarcity and growing mass migrations.
Population Matters spokesperson Lily Chamberlain believes one of the many solutions is greater education on family planning and advancing women’s rights, and understanding of their own bodies.
“We want every woman in the world to have the right and the freedom to choose the family size she wants, and we want people across the globe to consume as sustainably and responsibly as possible,” Ms Chamberlain said.
She believes attitudes need to change and many may not realise the crisis that planet earth is heading towards.
“We would like unhealthy societal attitudes towards contraception and reproductive rights to disappear, and for this development to gradually bring about the population stabilisation that our planet needs.”
One of the many advocates of higher population growth in recent times has been economists, believing a higher population meant eventually a stronger economy, although this theory has begun to be doubted by others.
Leith Van Onselen recently released an article on Macrobusiness.com suggesting that a larger population for Australia didn’t necessarily mean greater prosperity for Australians, you can read his report on Macrobusiness.com.
Australia has seen it’s own growth in citizens concerned with an ever expanding population too, giving rise to the political party Sustainable Australia Party which was registered in 2010, they have just begun forming state parties this year beginning in the ACT with other state areas to follow.
Good to see people concerned about this important but neglected (sometimes shunned) issue. Like climate change, we need to address population both on local and global levels.