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  • Title: Are there too many of us?
    Journal: Popul Headl; 1993 Sep; (222):4. PubMed ID: 12345113.
    Abstract:
    A summary is provided of Lester R. Brown's statement (World Watch Institute) published in the Washington Post, July 1993, and the International Herald Tribune article on July 26, 1993, and an article from "Vital Signs 1993: The Trends that Are Shaping Our Future" (a World Watch Institute publication). The forecast is that history will find a population growth during the entire period from 1900 to 2000 to have been more significant than the attention focused on population during the period. Population had an additional 37 million in 1950 and is presently expanding by 91 million/per year. The impact of such rapid growth is beginning to be apparent in declines in per capita food production. Grain production increased 2.6-fold between 1950 and 1984 and grew at a rate of 3%/year, in contrast to the present rate of 1/year. The rate per capita, however, has declined at 1%/year since 1984. This increased production resulted in increased consumption and better nutrition for all. Economic sectors such as grain, fish, and livestock production are experiencing constraints, and fresh water is becoming scarce. During the 1960s, economic growth reached a high of 5.25%; it has declined since then to 2.9% during the 1980s. Economic growth was higher than population growth due to increased output of goods per capita. Between 1990 and 1992, the world economy expanded at a rate of .6%/year, but living standards declined. There was hope during the 1960s and 1970s that fertility declines would prevent declines in living standards, however, US policies during the 1980s undermined efforts at population control. Access to family planning was impeded as a result of the withdrawal of funding from the US Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Concern has recently been raised jointly by the US National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of London that science and technology may not be able to offset the irreversible degradation to the environment of continued poverty, if predictions of growth are accurate and human activity remains unchanged. Mr. Brown stated that food needs can be met only for the additional 91 million/year by reducing consumption. Efforts must be directed to eliminating discrimination against women and poverty as well as expanding family planning services in order to reverse the declines.
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