Matthew E. Kahn, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
A 1972 report warned that unchecked consumption could crater the world economy by 2100. Fifty years and much debate later, can humanity innovate quickly enough to avoid that fate?
Extinction Rebellion impostors have called humans ‘a disease’.
Jane Goodall, English primatologist and anthropologist, addresses a press conference during the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, January 22 2020.
EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE
Many people think a population policy is about control – like the one-child policy in China, for instance. But modern population policies are about population-well-being.
People think migrants are draining Australia’s resources. But if we were to cut down on migration, it would also make sense to introduce policies that limit numbers of international tourists.
The bigger Melbourne gets, the more attractive it becomes.
from shutterstock.com
In the 70s, Whitlam tried to build new, big cities. But this was too costly. Now the most viable solution for Australia’s population woes is to make existing cities bigger.
Slums like this one in Rio de Janeiro embody the problems Paul Ehrlich warned of in ‘The Population Bomb.’
dany13
Fifty years ago biologist Paul Ehrlich published ‘The Population Bomb,’ an apocalyptic warning that overcrowding would lead to wars and famine. Here’s what the book got right and wrong.
Artificial islands can cause huge environmental issues for coastlines.
The Forest City Project
Artificial islands that are now mushrooming across the ocean are regarded as ‘engineering marvels’. But, little attention is paid to how these human-made structures affect sea life.
Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University