Worldwide, birthrates are in free fall. Around one-third of countries now have birthrates below replacement level (2.1 children per woman) and sinking. Nowhere does the downward trend show signs of leveling off. Nations already in a birth dearth crisis include Japan, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Russia - whose population is now in absolute decline and is expected to be 30 percent lower by 2050. On every part of every continent and in every culture (even Mormon), birthrates are headed down. They reach replacement level and keep on dropping. It turns out that population decrease accelerates downward just as fiercely as population increase accelerated upward, for the same reason. Any variation from the 2.1 rate compounds over time.
That should create all sorts of havoc, our economies have assumed constant growth for sometime now. An interesting read, the article takes look at thing environmentalists love to hate: cities, bio tech and nuclear power. His take is all three will be needed to save the planet. I think he tends to put way to much stalk in the priesthood of scientists.
1 comment:
I love this quote:
The scientists are ethicalistic, rebellious against any perceived dominant paradigm, and combative against each other. For them, admitting mistakes is what science is.
Not any scientist I've ever heard of. Scientists will battle for their pet theory even in the light of overwhelming evidence.
Can't call the kettle black though, cause I do it to.
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