The Cairns Post

Human population

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ALAN Sparks (CP, 04/01). A little more effort in doing your own research should help you overcome your dread of world over population.

The advent of our ‘first world’ economies have seen their fertility rates plunge to below 2.0 (2.2 is needed to just maintain the population level). The population of Japan is expected to plunge to 88.08 million in 2065, marking a roughly 30 per cent fall from the 2015 level, according to government-affiliated research.

It is the same for most western nations with only high numbers of developing and third world immigrants boosting their population.

The World Bank data shows the ‘world’ fertility rate has decreased from 5.068 in 1964 to 2.439 in 2016. In the same period Albania from 6.5 to 1.7, Bangladesh 6.7 to 2.3, Colombia 6.8 to 1.9, Dominican Republic 7.6 to 2.4 and that is the establishe­d trend for most countries.

The exceptions are only those third world countries ravaged by conflict and political turmoil such as Nigeria 6.5 to 4.4, Ethiopia 6.9 to 4.2 and Somalia 7.3 to 6.3.

The best solution for countries experienci­ng high population growth is progress, through the provision of affordable electricit­y and the proliferat­ion electronic contracept­ives such as television and computers.

Subsequent improvemen­ts in living standards would enhance education opportunit­ies and personal ambition would replace much of the desire to procreate. Bill Bates, Kewarra Beach 1324: Death of Italian explorer Marco

Polo (above). 1719: France declares war on Spain. 1951: United Nations headquarte­rs

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