Today is the day the U.N. has deemed the 7 billion milestone day; so far different population sites have differing by-the-second numbers-close to or already over 7 billion. Population Action is tracking and also can show you what number of the 7 billion you are.
World Population Balance is tracking too and says that net increase is 142 people per minute. Wow. What ever exact moment we hit 7 billion, to me it’s not a moment to celebrate, but to think seriously about how even if you have done one of the best things to help population and carbon emission issues by not having kids, what are ways to help the overpopulation and resource depletion problems our world faces…to chew more on this soon. Until then, what are your thoughts? Currently tallying the October On-the-Ground responses; will report back tomorrow!
I think another way for those of us who are parents to help the overpopulation problem is to encourage and support the childfree choice rather than condemning it, which too many parents still do.
For those who aren’t parents but want to be, encourage them to adopt children ALREADY here instead of adding more by going the pregnancy route. From what I understand, there are over 150,000 children currently in foster care systems that aren’t being adopted at all because so many women insist on adopting only infants. That of course adds to the overpopulation problem. I routinely ask anti-choice posters on abortion discussion forums who can’t have kids “why won’t you adopt one of the children already here instead of demanding that women who don’t want to be pregnant gestate unwanted pregnancies?” Just as routinely, I never get an answer on that particular question, none that makes sense anyway.
Countries that are dominated by patriarchal religions or cultures that are anti-contraception and anti-voluntary-sterilization are probably not going to do much to solve this problem. Many religious leaders still have the backward belief that the ONLY role for women is to be a mother, even if some women DON’T want kids.