I don't know. I know places like Russia and the Ukraine are having extreme problems with population decline, and at the same time the third world, ironically, is having problems with population booms.
But every estimation I've seen says that the Earth's population is going to continue to boom for decades to come, and if anything, we're going to have severe problems feeding and housing so many people in the decades to come.
It's also true that as nations become more prosperous and more wealthy, birth rates drop like a stone. So we'll see what happens when the third world joins the first world family, but right now, I'm honestly not worried.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
The problem isn't going to be replacing the elderly, it's going to be supporting them.
Seriously, exactly how many more people do you expect this planet to be able to support while maintaining a comfortable lifestyle?
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Who is that directed to, or was that rhetorical?
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
It was directed at the OP.
I agreed with the substance of your post, so I didn't really feel the need to respond to it. Sorry for the confusion.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: It's also true that as nations become more prosperous and more wealthy, birth rates drop like a stone. So we'll see what happens when the third world joins the first world family, but right now, I'm honestly not worried.
There is a hurdle to getting more prosperous and wealthy, a jump that these countries have to make before things start getting better. Unfortunately, it takes resources to do that, and so much of the world is living marginally.