Deutsche Welle, Germany, 25 Oct. 2011, The global population is growing at a faster rate than ever before. But can our planet sustain seven billion people? Some politicians and experts are rethinking our current economic and social models.
 |
| There will be nine billion people by 2050 |
By the end of October, a baby will be born somewhere on this planet that will, according to United Nations estimates, make the global population add up to seven billion.
Experts like to call our population growth a "population explosion." In the last 200 years, the growth rate has been the fastest in the history of humankind. By 2050, the global population is expected to exceed 9.1 billion.
According to the UN, every individual is born with unalienable rights: the right to the protection of his or her dignity, a right to food and water, education, health and housing. Most individuals are likely to dream of material wealth and well-being, based on a Western lifestyle.
But is the planet actually able to support this Western model? "The typical US-American or European lifestyle is not sustainable," says Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, German environmental expert and member of the World Future Council. If the world continues along its current growth part, he is convinced "we would need three planets." Read More
(Source : Deutsche Welle, Germany)
