Children younger than five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401 million in 2100 . Over-80s will climb from 141 million in 2017 to 866 million in 2100 . This inverted age structure will cause big problems. Who pays tax and looks after the elderly in a massively-aged population?Key requirements for human flourishing include clean air, clean water, plentiful food and protection against natural hazards.
Death rates from air pollution decreased by more than 50 per cent since 1990. Access to clean water increased by 68 per cent between 1990 and 2015. The world now produces enough food to feed 10 billion people, 28 per cent greater than current world population and grown on less land per capita than ever before. The percentage of malnourished people decreased from 15 per cent in 1990 to 12 per cent in 2018.
The percentage of people living in extreme poverty decreased from about 84 per cent in 1820 to about 10 per cent in 2018. Human and economic vulnerability to the most common climate-related hazards – flooding, drought, extreme wind, cold and heat, volcanoes, earthquakes – decreased up to 90 per cent since 1980. Conclusion: population growth plus technology causes human flourishing..
However, the perceived existential threat posed by climate change is our biggest public fear, despite good evidence that this fear is misplaced. The latest scientific study shows that empirical data does not permit calculation of any “doomsday” thresholds that, if exceeded, lead to runaway environmental change (
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No, no, not the whole population; mind you there’s a few out there I could recommend, if you’re looking for suggestions...