A discussion of human population growth.

As human population increases (at a rate of about 8 million per month) the diversity of life is being threatened the ozone layer is being depleted and the oceans are being over-fished. Recent publications on the topic of population growth all point to the serious nature of the population issue. A look at the history and current status of human population growth shows that current genetic information indicates that all humans descended from a group of about 10000 beings who lived in Africa about 200000 years ago. Doubling of the population occurred in about 10000 years until about 8000 B.C. when civilization allowed population doubling to occur in a mere 1000 years. This rate persisted until around 1750 when the population was 750 million. From 1750 to 1950 agricultural evolution and the industrial revolution created a doubling time of less than 40 years. The period of public health evolution has increased life expectancy and caused decreasing birth rates even before economic development created higher standards of living. Europe has nearly achieved a state of population equilibrium but immigration keeps the US growth rate high. UN population conferences in 1974 1984 and 1994 reflect changing views about population growth. The most recent conference placed an emphasis on world-wide promotion of family planning and contraception and improvements in womens status. Projections for the future include determinations that no positive growth rate can be maintained indefinitely and that food production and natural resources are limited. Population momentum will continue population growth even if fertility falls to replacement levels. Negative growth will require religious thinking and social mores to change and adopt the concept that quality of life is more important than quantity. In order to limit growth we must educate and empower women educate men promote contraception save children and improve economic development.