As you may know, Earth’s population has just crossed the 8 billion mark. What do we make of this very large number of people? Do we succumb to worry about the capacity of the Earth to support humanity, and the old “population bomb” theories? Or do we appreciate the advances in health, nutrition, education, and rising out of poverty for many nations that have previously suffered much worse outcomes for their populations? The answer is nuanced.
As it turns out, two thirds of the Earth’s population already lives in countries where population growth has stabilized or is in decline. So, the modern advances have in fact produced outcomes that could be sustainable in the long run. But there is another side to the population question: are people consuming more resources than the Earth can sustain? And the answer here is an unequivocal yes.
Consider this statistic: total biomass of all living mammals is now 36% humans and 60% animals raised for human consumption. What does that leave for the remainder of the animal kingdom? 4%. And only several centuries ago, it used to be over 90%. Overall decline in biodiversity and the extinction of species is staggering, and it is undermining the ecological web of life on which we all depend. It is our critical, moral duty to think about how we live and how to reduce our consumption and impact on the environment, and act accordingly.
To learn more, the Environmental Team of the Justice Committee recommends listening to On Point’s podcast, titled Earth’s growing population: ‘A Direct Affront to Our Own Survival (January 11, 2023).