Population Problems? Not So Fast!

I ran across an article in National Geographic with the following tag line: 

There will soon be seven billion people on the planet. By 2045 global population is projected to reach nine billion. Can the planet take the strain?

Here is just one of its fear-filled paragraphs: 

"With the population still growing by about 80 million each year, it’s hard not to be alarmed. Right now on Earth, water tables are falling, soil is eroding, glaciers are melting, and fish stocks are vanishing. Close to a billion people go hungry each day. Decades from now, there will likely be two billion more mouths to feed, mostly in poor countries. There will be billions more people wanting and deserving to boost themselves out of poverty. If they follow the path blazed by wealthy countries—clearing forests, burning coal and oil, freely scattering fertilizers and pesticides—they too will be stepping hard on the planet’s natural resources. How exactly is this going to work?"

 Here is a link to the article if you would like to read more.
In 1968, author Paul R. Ehrlich wrote a book called "The Population Bomb" in which he "warned that the increase in population was quickly outpacing the ability of the planet to produce enough food and that millions would soon be starving.  He and others advocated that extreme measures should be taken to stabilize the world's population."

So...does this worry you?

 Do you think the planet is going to crash and the best thing we can do is look to the example of China and establish some serious limits on the population?  Let's not freak out just yet...Here is what the Proclamation has to say about it all: "The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force."

And here's what lds.org has to say about population issues:

Replenishing the Earth

After the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to “be fruitful, and multiply,” He commanded them to “replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). The Hebrew word translated as replenish means “to fill.” For many years we have heard warnings about overpopulation and the devastating effects it can cause. While some areas of the world are experiencing a negative impact from extreme population density, the world as a whole is actually moving in the opposite direction. Indeed, research indicates that by the year 2040 world population will peak and begin to decline. 

Probably a more relevant issue than population density is how we use the resources God has given us to support the population now and in the future. “For the earth is full,” He said, “and there is enough and to spare. … If any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment” (D&C 104:17–18). “The enemy of human happiness as well as the cause of poverty and starvation is not the birth of children,” said Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “It is the failure of people to do with the earth what God could teach them to do if only they would ask and then obey.” 

One of the byproducts of the fear of overpopulation is that couples are choosing to have fewer children. Some are even deciding to stay purposefully childless.  And, then there is abortion.  Keep reading for some more information from lds.org:

Children Are Becoming Less Valued

President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, addressed a “shift in attitude about the purpose of marriage. More and more young people view marriage ‘as a couples relationship, designed to fulfill the emotional needs of adults, rather than an institution for bringing up children.’ …

“Another disturbing challenge to the family,” observed President Faust, “is that children are becoming less valued. In many parts of the world, people are having fewer children. Abortion is probably the clearest sign that couples do not want children. An estimated one-quarter of all pregnancies worldwide end by induced abortion.” 

From the Proclamation: "We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan."

We've looked at marriage and why it is vital to Heavenly Father's plan of happiness, and we've talked about the importance of living the Law of Chastity, but, sadly, many people are not getting the message and thousands of babies are born each year to unwed parents. Again, from the Proclamation: "Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Nonmarital Childbearing

"As important as the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth is, the Lord has made clear that we must demonstrate our obedience only within the marriage relationship. There are numerous reasons for this restriction, but two of the most significant are to discourage sexual promiscuity and to provide a stable and healthy family environment for children.

In most societies, bearing children out of wedlock has traditionally been considered an embarrassment and a disgrace. But in today’s world, where good is called evil and evil good (see Isa. 5:20), the stigma of nonmarital childbearing has largely vanished. Not only is this practice a sin in the eyes of heaven, but researchers have found out-of-wedlock birth to be associated with several risks for the baby. For instance, compared with children born to married couples, children born out of wedlock are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, suffer death due to injury, or eventually become juvenile offenders.

Children born to unwed parents and placed for adoption fare significantly better than those who are not adopted. They experience fewer learning problems, achieve higher vocational levels, and are less likely to receive government assistance as adults. It is obvious that bringing children into the world and raising them the Lord’s way results in spiritual and temporal blessings."

Watch this short video from Elder Neal L. Andersen. 

• What did you learn about the importance of having children from Elder Andersen? 
• How can this knowledge help you defend our beliefs to someone who might say it is irresponsible for us to have "big families" in the Church?

Okay, I don't want to keep you too long, but I have an idea. I know most of you have to write research papers at some point in school, right?  Well, I think doing some in-depth research on the realities of "over-population" would make a pretty interesting paper. I'm going to post links to a fascinating documentary that I think could help you write an awesome essay.  It's called "Demographic Winter."

Demographic Winter Part 1

Demographic Winter Part 2

And, just because I love you, here are some great questions to help you as you are watching:

1. How did the book, The Population Bomb influence common views about population growth?
2. What was the "baby boom" and what have been some of the results?
3. How long does it take a population with sub-replacement rates to actually decline?
4. How does the media influence our perceptions of world population growth?
5. What is Human Capital, and how does that factor into the results of decreased fertility rates? Who is affected by having fewer children in the world?
6. How will immigration change as a result of the decline in births?
7. Why did fertility fall in the first place?  (List 4 specific trends or "revolutions" noted in the program.)
8. What are possible solutions?

Bet your teacher learns a thing or two after reading your paper!