The Earth’s human population passed 7 billion recently, according to the United Nations.
That’s a lot of people.
There was some question about where exactly the 7 billionth person was born, and even whether the predicted date was the correct one.
Back in the 19th Century, Thomas Malthus predicted inevitable starvation and population crashes because the number of people grows geometrically while food production only grows arithmetically.
In fact, food production also grows geometrically and, given no other constraining factors, could continue to grow indefinitely.
There are constraining factors, however, and, according to the United Nations, there are about 850 million people on the Earth who are malnourished or starving.
Population growth is one of the great drivers that are bringing on the crisis that the human race is facing. And as has often been stated, the Chinese character for “crisis” combines the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.”
The three other great drivers are the information explosion, industrialization (matter/energy processing), and the arms race.
All four are examples of geometric growth in that they feed on themselves (and each other).
Because the Earth is a limited size, all four have limits to growth that, it could be argued, are being approached if not surpassed already.
Space exploration is the only realistic, long-term solution to the limits to growth crisis.
Mother Earth is pregnant and needs to give birth.
