World Already Beyond Its Carrying Capacity

Lois M. Scheel

1994

Published in:

Social Trends Newsletter, Nov. 1994, No. 129

"God has created a world big enough for all the lives he wishes to be born. If there is a child that you don't want or can't feed or educate, give that child to me."
Mother Teresa, 1994 World Population Conference, Cairo

It is estimated that hunger has already become a worldwide problem with about 1 in 5, or 20 percent of the world's population going without sufficient nourishment to sustain life.

The world's population, now at 5.6 billion, is likely to reach 8.5 billion by the year 2025 and 10 billion by 2050. While all continents are showing an increase in population, most of the growth is occurring in those areas of the world with developing and underdeveloped countries, which are among the poorest of nations.

It would take gargantuan measures to control and reduce the population growth that is taking place in the world today. Those vested interests that include businesses, politicians, and ecclesiastical organizations and groups (the vanguard of the status quo) are not making the task any easier. Regardless, when considering that the resources of this one and only earth are finite (and rapidly being depleted), nations have no other alternative except to take those measures that will stem population growth. Otherwise, physical factors and limitations will do it for them. The consequences of not doing anything would be catastrophic.