From Paul Moran
I won’t be here to see it, of course, but I think that the advantages of a population of “only” 3.2 billion by 2150 – which is still double the population at the start of the 20th century – will outweigh the disadvantages of labour shortage and an ageing population (20 July, p 38).
Life is cheap in many parts of today’s world, with millions living and dying in poverty and squalor. Things will only get worse if a growing population puts ever more pressure on finite resources and living space.
So a shrinking population is good news, not only for the human race, but also for the planet and the other species we share it with.
Bristol
