Chris,
Thanks for your point about demographers and steady population trend.
If you could help us find the UN source document it would be good support
for promoting funds allocation for research. Population fears are one of
the greatest inhibitors of progress for the decision makers.
Gov't as well as private sector are hesitant about sending money for
politically sensitive projects. Population projections are sensitive issues.
Don
On Wed, 15 Feb 1995, Chris Driver wrote:
> What is this rubbish about exponential growth? Demographers from most parts of
> the world are agreed that the present trends are heading towards a steady
> population size. Many countries have already reached that point,and many
> others such as Australia have negative population growth, if you omit
> immigration. Australia has to import people to grow! The worl population is
> set to stabilise about the middle of the next century. The figures are
> published by the UN.
>> There are some ifs and buts about these figures-the effect of AIDS in some
> countries, the effects of present genocidal policies in Rwanda, Bosnia and
> otehr places will probably mean that the projected figures are too high. On
> the other hand certain countries do not give reliable figures so that adds a
> bit of interest to projections. However the figures are the best we have to go
> on, and the idea that there will be a relatively stable population within the
> lifetimes of most of our readers.
>> It is interesting that this demographic transition is happening in many
> countries without attaining a high material standard of living. Some people
> have suggested that womens rights are an important factor. Maybe so but
> population stabilisation is happening in Australia and the USA without a good
> record of equality of opportunity for women. I think it is fair to say that we
> don't understand what is going on and we need to know more.
>> Chris Driver
>>> Chris Driver, Ph D
> School of Biology and Chemistry, Rusden Campus
> Deakin University
> 662 Blackburn Rd
> Clayton, VIC, 3168
> AUSTRALIA
>>
