| Translate This News In |
|---|
The eighth billionth person on earth will be born on Tuesday, according to a United Nations prediction. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated in a statement that “the milestone is an occasion to celebrate diversity and accomplishments while considering humanity’s shared responsibility for the planet.” According to the UN, the increase is due to human development, with individuals living longer as a result of advancements in medical, diet, personal hygiene, and public health.
It is a result of rising fertility rates as well, which endanger the development of the world’s poorest nations, the majority of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.
When is a number too many?
The effects of economic development on the environment have also been amplified by population growth.
While some worry that there would not be enough space for eight billion people on Earth, most experts agree that the biggest issue is the overconsumption of resources by the richest individuals.
According to Joel Cohen of the Laboratory of Populations at Rockefeller University, there are two aspects to the question of how many people the planet can sustain: natural constraints and human decisions.
Humans consume significantly more biological resources, such as forests and land, than the world can replenish annually as a result of our decisions.
For instance, excessive use of fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide emissions, which are the cause of global warming.
He disagrees with the notion that humans are a scourge on the planet, arguing that people should have better options.
decreasing growth
Compared to the 2.5 billion people who called the world home in 1950, the population now is more than three times larger.
From a peak of 2.1 percent between 1962 and 1965 to less than 1 percent in 2020, annual growth has decreased.
The United Nations predicts that due to a continuous decline in fertility rates, that number might likely drop even further to around 0.5 percent by 2050.
According to UN estimates, the population will reach 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and peak at 10.4 billion in the 2080s.
However, other teams came up with different numbers.
In a research published in 2020, the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) predicted that the world’s population will peak by 2064, never exceeding 10 billion, and then drop to 8.8 billion by 2100.
