24. Population and the Environment

Global Problems of Population Growth (MCDB 150)

World population will continue to rise until at least 2050. Environmental impact is the product of the number of people and how much of their income and technology is devoted to either consumption or conservation. So far, the balance is far at the consumption end and, globally, environmental problems are increasing. Environmentalism has not come close to counteracting the footprint of a billion extra people every dozen years. The only massive success has been the decline in global fertility. People want fewer children, the contraceptive technology is available, and the cost is minimal. The only realistic possibility for ameliorating the environmental crisis might be to facilitate the continued decline of fertility.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Course Retrospective
10:26 - Chapter 2. Population Projections
19:54 - Chapter 3. Factors Affecting Future Population
28:13 - Chapter 4. Population and Environmental Impact
41:17 - Chapter 5. Population and Land Scarcity
49:55 - Chapter 6. Population and Water Scarcity
01:01:41 - Chapter 7. Final Thoughts on Population and Environment

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Spring 2009.