7,000 million humans in 2011

This New Year, on the surface of our tiny planet live 6.934 million human beings. Is more than double that just 50 years. Throughout 2011, the figure will exceed 7,000 million and the United Nations forecasts suggest that by the middle of this century will reach 9,000. Are some numbers that put the Earth to the brink of collapse, but more and more people understand that this is not an overpopulation problem, but an increasingly unbearable waste of natural resources are limited.
Among those now raised the old theories of Thomas Malthus is the World Population Foundation (DSW, its acronym in German). Malthus, in his treatise of 1798, and ventured that the population is growing faster than resources, and therefore predicted to produce wars, epidemics and famine among the poor to reach equilibrium and ecology.

Ecology and population

In a report presented in Hannover, DSW has reminded this week that 2.6 babies are born every second, emphasizing that 82% of the population lives in developing countries is in Africa where it grows at a faster pace.
In fact, it is expected that the African population will reach 2,000 million by 2050, double that of 2010. "Most African countries do not produce enough for its inhabitants. Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa would reduce a fifth if there could prevent unwanted pregnancies," said in a statement ecology.

Its director, Renate Bähr going farther. "Today 75 million women in emerging countries have unwanted pregnancies because they lack information about contraception. If we want to fight poverty, we must prevent these pregnancies," he argued and the population and ecology.
However, other data points demographics: the pace of global population growth has fallen more than 40% since the 70's. Moreover, Europe is not reached replacement level (2.1 children per woman) and in Spain only 1.4, which is achieved thanks to the immigrants.

7,000 million humans in 2011

From another perspective, according to the Population Association of America, all the inhabitants of Earth would occupy the equivalent of the state of Texas, with 500 square meters for each family. So we really are so many? "No. And that rate of increase is declining rapidly. It is believed that will touch the ceiling in the 9,000 million, but this stabilization did not come from family planning imposed, but the reduction of poverty. When in Africa live better, have fewer sons, "says demographer CSIC Julio Pérez Díaz.

From the environmental field, Juan Carlos del Olmo, secretary general of WWF Spain, recalled that in its present rate of consumption, and are just two and a half planets: "The real bomb in this planet is the combination of a very high population with unbridled consumption. If all humans wasting resources, as here, break out "