The Delicate Balance, Part 1: Reason for Optimism
Ecological refugees-people whose environment is so degraded that it no longer supports the social fabric of the country are a growing concern in every industrialized country. Many other population issues exist, but changes have been seen, too. In co...
The Delicate Balance, Part 1: Exponential Population Growth
It took thousands of years for mankind to evolve from nomadic hunter-gatherers to farmers settled in towns and villages. It took only centuries from that point until Thomas Malthus postulated, in the 18th century, that human population would grow at...
The Delicate Balance, Part 1: Demography of Population Growth
Projecting population growth begins with three basic assumptions: everyone is born at age zero, everyone dies, and the earth is a closed system. Based on current fertility patterns, the world population will reach 296 billion people by 2150, compare...
Saints and Strangers: Hivings Challenge Community Solidarity and Indian Culture
New England colonists, in contrast with Chesapeake settlers, are more interested in staying put than spreading out. But as rapid population growth overtakes them, people inevitably begin to move beyond town boundaries. Such "hivings," as they are ca...
Rise and Fall: Population, Urbanization and the Environment
While developing nations struggle to endure the seemingly endless cycle of poverty and overpopulation, the decline in population some of the more advanced nations are experiencing can bring about problems as well.