Seven billion and counting

With dismaying inevitability, the world’s population is to officially to top 7 billion in 2011 (The Age/NYT), and continue climbing to 9 billion by mid-century. (The SBS TV channel will have to update its slogan, “Six billion stories and counting…”) Yet they are still worried about an aging population! It’s a demographic hump that will just have to be dealt with – increasing the birthrate and a temporary supply of younger people is not a solution (they in turn will grow old).

The Australian Federal election is to be held on Saturday 21 August. Both candidates (Julia Gillard of Labor and Tony Abbott of the Liberals) have made some statements about their population policies (“No ‘top-gear’ rush to population growth: Gillard”, 18/7; “Population: focus turns on middle ground”, 19/7) but one has little confidence about their real commitment to sustainability.

“India’s population poised to top China’s”, 14/7. India is predicted to have 1.6 billion by 2050 – a social disaster as there is already poverty in parts of society and no social security. (National Population Stabilisation Fund)

I got a Facebook notice that Businessman Dick Smith ran an advertisement in Tuesday’s The Australian (which I missed as the message came the next day).

“Growth is good and a bigger Australia brings real social and cultural value” – The Australian editorial 21 July 2010

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A Message from Dick Smith

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The prime obligation of the Murdoch media is to maximise profits and returns to shareholders by supporting endless economic growth.

The Murdoch media has no obligation to show leadership in values such as our quality of life, sustainablility or a safe future for our children and grandchildren.

Please note this when you read all articles and, particularly, editorials in the Murdoch media.

www.dicksmithpopulation.com.au

For another view on the growth debate, see my documentary, “Dick Smith’s Population Puzzle” screening on the ABC at 8:30 p.m., Thursday 12 August. DVD available 13 August.

Dick Smith’s $1 Million Wilberforce Award will go to a young person who shows responsible leadership by communicating the impossibility of endless economic growth in a finite world. Details on the DVD.

Wilberforce Award Endless growth is not sustainable.

The editorial the next day countered, “No apologies, Mr. Smith, growth is good”. I strongly beg to disagree!

“Big business wants ‘Big Australia’ ”, The Age/SMH, 1/8. Opinion piece by Dick Smith.

The supporters of a “Big Australia” are mainly big business, who find it easier to increase profits by supporting an ever-expanding population. As a businessman, I’ve benefited from such lazy thinking – good for wealthy people like me, but downhill from now for most Australians. It is growth that comes with tremendous long-term problems and it’s vital that we start planning for the long-term future of this country.

Of course it would be foolish to argue that as a nation we have not been enriched by immigration. We are nearly all migrants to this country. But many studies have shown that high levels of immigration have a downside for the people already living here.

The economic wealth of the nation cannot be continually divided among more people without most having less. We live in a finite world and sooner or later we will have to stop growing. I believe we are rapidly reaching our limits in this extremely dry continent, where barely 6 per cent of the land is suitable for food production and water is scarce.