It took all of human history for world population to reach 1.65 billion in 1900. By 1999, it reached 6 billion. By 2025, it will likely be at least 8 billion. Birth rates have slowed considerably due to expanding awareness and efforts over the past few decades. But we still add over 70 million people a year because the base population is now so large.

YOU ARE THE BOWS FROM WHICH YOUR CHILDREN ARE AS LIVING ARROWS SENT FORTH. KHALIL GIBRAN


Although one of the success stories of recent years has been the reduction of birth rates, the single greatest threat to our environment, to our resources, to our quality of life, may be too many people - especially in some of the poorest nations. Ironically, too much life threatens life itself. It is difficult to change eons of programming. But then slavery ended only a century and a half ago and women couldn't vote ninety years ago. What is often accepted as normal for generations becomes seen over time as anachronistic, or worse. Just as survival of the species historically depended on procreation, survival of the species may now largely depend on restraining this impulse. The future of our children will depend on limiting the quantity and focusing on the quality of their lives. The worst predictions of decades ago have been averted by action. Conversely, even if we can sustain current and predicted population levels - which is in question at best - apathy can nullify current predictions of future stability and lead to chaos.