Overpopulation
In 1994 the
following newsreport
was in a European newspaper:
"In fifty years nearly eight milliard people too much"
"In fifty years there will be nearly eight milliard people too much living on earth, to make this life durable. Thereafter mankind will stop existing, by it's own doing. This bleak outlook has been presented today by Prof. Dr. E. Adema , who is leaving the Airhygiene-Faculty at the Wageningen Agriculture-University. According to Adema Earth can offer a durable life to no more, than 2,5 milliard people. "Durable" according to the Professor means, a life, that is guaranteed for the next generations as well and not exhausting Earth's ecological systems totally. For a durable existance, according to Adema, not only a drastic birthsreduction is necessary, but also acceptance of a much lower level of prosperity. In 1980 already there were 4,5 milliard people living on earth. In 2040 this number will be increased up to 10 milliard, according to Adema's calculations".
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In 2000 there were 6 milliard, which means 1/3 more in 20 years!!!
By the end of 2006, according to the UN there were 6,5 milliard.
So up untill now the professor's calculations are right. There still is a growth of nearly 100 milion a year, (1 milliard in ten years).
In another European newspaper in 1999 there was a diagram, that showed, how the 6 milliard Earth-inhabitants then were spread over the different continents and how this will be in 2050.
CONTINENT NUMBER IN 1999 NUMBER IN 2050
Oceania 0,3 milliard 0,5 milliard
North-America 0,3 ,, 0,4 ,,
South-America 0,5 ,, 0,8 ,,
Europe 0,7 ,, 0,6 ,, ! (decreased)
Africa 0,8 ,, 1,8 ,,
Asia 3,7 ,, 5,3 ,, ! !
In Asia China (1,2 milliard) and India (nearly 1 milliard), have the main part of the total 3,7 milliard inhabitants of that continent.
Of course these are the two countries with the largest number of inhabitants.
In the third place are the U.S. with 280 million, next Indonesia with 210 million, Brasil with 166 million, Pakistan with 150, the Russian federation with 148, Japan with 130, Bangladesh with 125 en Nigeria with 110 miljoen.
By the way China en India are not also the most densely populated countries.
Most densely is Bangladesh, with 866 inhabitants per square kilometer;
second is Taiwan with 606, third South-Korea with 465, follow TheNetherlands with 378, Japan 334, Belgium 332, India 299, Philippines 243, Great-Brittain 240 en Vietnam 235.
(Source: Times Atlas of the World)
