population explosion – A sudden, large increase in a population. In human terms this could be caused by economic growth coupled with the global oversupply of food, increased birth rate, reduction in infant mortality, increase in life expectancy and better healthcare generally, poor education and lack of awareness of birth control, religious reasons and more. Population growth really took off at about the same time as the industrial revolution started. However, since World War II the global population has seen an exponential growth from an estimated 2.3 billion to a now estimated 7.2 billion and expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050. This growth comes mainly from developing continents and countries such as Africa and, until recently, India. The governments of China and Russia, as examples, are actively encouraging population growth to help support the growing older population as well as for political reasons as the tensions between these two super powers ebb and flow!

The planet cannot sustain this exponential growth indefinitely. It is argued that we are currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction (Holocene extinction) on the planet with only the fittest and richest surviving. Indeed it is estimated that the planet now loses three species every hour! That’s a staggering 26,000 every year. Even taking into account NEW species being discovered there is still an estimated net loss of some 2,000 every year. Modern humans have to take responsibility since their arrival at the top of the food chain. The Law of Correlation (see: www.jarroldpublishing.co.uk) tends to iron out peaks and troughs and the population may well, therefore, be self leveling in the short term. However, life on Earth, as we know it, will ultimately come to an end.

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