There are some interesting things in development in our world
... I track the development of a group called the World Futurist Movement [WFM]. Late last year ... the group came up with 10 major issues that the world will face in the next 50 years.
Many demographic specialist predict the world will reach 9 billion people within 30 yrs. This prediction is based on current trends in population growth. This projection made by many is incorrect however. According to the WFM we fall behind [yearly] in global grain production by 10%. That means 10% of the world is not getting staple foods [aside from the other issues that are causing mass starvation]. North American Corporations such as Ford Motor Co and Husky Oil, as well as several members of Congress and Canadian Politicians are attempting to make a motion that 45% of all North American Grains will be utilized for the production of Ethanol [a fossil fuel replacement]. This again causes a greater need for food and proves a severe lack of vision by several North American Leaders.
In all this ...the bottom line is that the world population will decline.
Found a few interesting articles today that state that this is already happening in Europe and Russia.
"A dramatically declining population is one of the most acute problems facing Russia today. The country's official population, now around 143 million, is shrinking by 700,000 every year. By 2050, some experts predict that the country's population could be as low as 120 million."
Radio Free Europe
"In countries - both modern and less developed -throughout the world, birthrates and fertility rates have fallen at an astonishing rate. Because of extremely low fertility, Europe has already begun losing population and is projected to fall from 725 million today by approximately 100 million people or more by mid-century, and continuing thereafter. Japan will fall from over 125 million to just 110 million. In less developed countries the fertility rate is about 2.7 and falling fast; about 25 such countries are already at or below replacement level.
Among the modern nations, only the United States is an exception to the trend, as it is likely to grow from about 285 million to about 410 million people by mid-century because of higher fertility and continued robust immigration."
FutureScan
Now interestingly enough there is a movie about to come out that kind of plays into this... On Christmas day for that matter [stop and think about this for a second].
... I track the development of a group called the World Futurist Movement [WFM]. Late last year ... the group came up with 10 major issues that the world will face in the next 50 years.Many demographic specialist predict the world will reach 9 billion people within 30 yrs. This prediction is based on current trends in population growth. This projection made by many is incorrect however. According to the WFM we fall behind [yearly] in global grain production by 10%. That means 10% of the world is not getting staple foods [aside from the other issues that are causing mass starvation]. North American Corporations such as Ford Motor Co and Husky Oil, as well as several members of Congress and Canadian Politicians are attempting to make a motion that 45% of all North American Grains will be utilized for the production of Ethanol [a fossil fuel replacement]. This again causes a greater need for food and proves a severe lack of vision by several North American Leaders.
In all this ...the bottom line is that the world population will decline.
Found a few interesting articles today that state that this is already happening in Europe and Russia.
"A dramatically declining population is one of the most acute problems facing Russia today. The country's official population, now around 143 million, is shrinking by 700,000 every year. By 2050, some experts predict that the country's population could be as low as 120 million."
Radio Free Europe
"In countries - both modern and less developed -throughout the world, birthrates and fertility rates have fallen at an astonishing rate. Because of extremely low fertility, Europe has already begun losing population and is projected to fall from 725 million today by approximately 100 million people or more by mid-century, and continuing thereafter. Japan will fall from over 125 million to just 110 million. In less developed countries the fertility rate is about 2.7 and falling fast; about 25 such countries are already at or below replacement level.
Among the modern nations, only the United States is an exception to the trend, as it is likely to grow from about 285 million to about 410 million people by mid-century because of higher fertility and continued robust immigration."
FutureScan
Now interestingly enough there is a movie about to come out that kind of plays into this... On Christmas day for that matter [stop and think about this for a second].
Now I don't know about you ...
but someone is trying to say something...
But what
are they trying to say?
This leads me to a few questions
What are the causes of the decline in the Birth rate? Keep in mind that this is a global issue not just a pocket of populations here and there. So its not just economic.
Are there significant sociologic, economic, environmental and theologic implications to this?
How should the church respond to this type of trend?
A fundamentalist approach might be the thoughtless... 'this is a judgement from God.' Is it that?
Or is it something more? Maybe if we dig a little deeper we may uncover a 'Cry from the hearts of men.'
Are we mere victims to a evolutionary development in humanity or are there some key significant thinking processes that are causing this shift?
Is anyone making the connections? Seeing beyond what the trends seem to be saying?
Does hope tie into this? Does hopelessness effect the
birth rate?
Or Trust?
Or community?
