Population Control: Let's consider it

[A Black Falcon]

Part of this may put the lie to "abstenence only" sex education.

Actually, abstinence-only sex education is proven to do nothing to reduce pregnancy rates, while doing a lot to hurt people's understanding of what contraception is and when they should be using it. It's a horrible, horrible concept that the Bush administration has pushed hard... hopefully when they are gone so will abstinence-only sex ed. :(

One thing to distinguish is there's a difference between population decline, and population GROWTH decline. Population growth rates can shrink and still result in a rising overall population.

Sure, but if the population growth rate keeps going down, the population itself is sure to follow eventually. This is exactly what is happening in China -- for now their population may still be going up, but if they hold to their population limits (one-child policy; some are allowed a second child or have one anyway, but overall it has worked amazingly well), China WILL eventually start declining in population. Already the population size increase difference between China and India is extreme -- India is continuing to rapidly, and uncontrollably, increase in population, while China is not thanks to their repressive, but effective, one child policy. This will only become more distinct as time goes on.

Anyway, that's a rather simple answer to the issue but it stands to wonder where the source of America (and Canada's) population growth comes from when we're in the same boat as many European nations. Also of note is that while overall Europe has lowered population, there are small pockets where it's still growing, such as Italy. This also may be true in the US, where overall there's growth but there may well be many pockets where it's dropping (just not enough).

Italy? Italy is not increasing in population. The map you want is this one (and this article):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_growth


Note how all of Europe except for Ireland, Bosnia, Turkey, and a few tiny city-states are either barely growing or are shrinking. Most of the rest of Europe, as well as Japan, should join the purple areas (negative growth) in not too long... Most of Africa, except for the most AIDS-affected parts, is very rapidly growing. And as I said, Africa is least able to deal with the effects of global warming, while Europe is probably most able to deal with it...

This chart is also relevant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cou...ility_rate


US fertility rate: 2.04, right about replacement. So why is it, then, that our population is growing so much? As I said, it's because of immigration. America allows in a LOT of immigrants.

And again, the point about which countries are growing and which are not is clear.