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Population boom a myth |
| LifeLink October 2003 Over the past 40 years, the citizens of the United States have been persuaded to worry that our population will outgrow our resources. Academics and politicians have warned that there would soon be widespread famine and economic collapse. In 1946, Julian Huxley, first head of UNESCO, wrote, “War is a less inevitable threat to mankind than is population increase.” In 1972, the Club of Rome published Limits of Growth, advocating population control; they refused to disavow the book until ten years later, when they admitted that the book had “exaggerated the situation to awaken public concern.” Now we realize that this hype regarding overpopulation was all inaccurate. The United States does not have an overpopulation problem. Even George Will has recognized that we only have a population distribution problem, since so many have chosen to leave rural areas for larger cities. However, the United States has proven that we have more than enough resources to feed our citizens and much of the world. The increased productivity has even allowed us to do this on ever-decreasing areas of farmland. Potential Underpopulation? Analysts are now concerned that America’s birthrate is below the replacement rate. For the first time in history, the UN projected that future fertility levels in developed countries would drop below 2.1 children per woman (the level needed to ensure long-term replacement of a population) in the 21st century. Thus, by 2050, if this trend continues, three out of four countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America will have birth rates below replacement levels. In Europe and Japan, the situation is already quite drastic: the populations are shrinking very quickly. In Japan, the population is projected to decrease by 14 percent by 2050; the population in Italy is expected to decrease by 22 percent. The populations of Europe, which in 1950 accounted for 22 percent of world population, are expected to be just 7 percent in 2050. China has implemented their extreme one-child policy and now not only has a decreasing population, but also far more males than females. With fewer children welcomed into the world, medical resources are fewer, and we will not be able to support our elderly population. With both the lower fertility rates and the aging population, countries will actually be forced to welcome more immigrants simply to fill jobs and maintain productivity (or to euthanize the sick and elderly). Propagation of the Myth The United Nations has been instrumental in propagating this myth of overpopulation. Their sub-organization, the United Nations Population Fund, works for “stabilization of world population.” Additionally, the International Planned Parenthood Federation has been working relentlessly to promote contraceptives. However, the supposed population boom they had espoused has proved to be a lie. With news of lower birth rates and our elderly living longer, their fraudulent propaganda cannot continue much longer. Provided by: Texas Right To LIfe 6776 Southwest Freeway • Suite 430 Houston,TX 77074 Tel: 713.782.LIFE • Fax: 713.952.2041 |