Until 1804, fewer than one billion people roamed our planet. More than a century later, in 1927, we crossed two billion.
Since then, the world population has shot up in the shape of a hockey stick, boosted by the triumphs of modern medicine and public health.
The latest marker was passed on Tuesday, when the United Nations said the world population had reached eight billion, just 11 years after it passed seven billion. (It is an inexact number, since there is no official count, but the international organization said its projections crossed the line on Tuesday.)
The growth rate, which is expected to slow globally over the coming decades, has been uneven around the world. Slowing growth rates in populous nations like China and the United States have caused some alarm, threatening to upend their societies. Rising birth rates in poorer nations threaten to strain systems that are already struggling.
I – Word Understanding
Upend – to upset / to set something to its end or upside down
Strain – to cause more problem or trouble
II – Have Your Say
1, How do you feel about our population reaching 8 billion?
2, Share your thoughts on the following challenges we have on our growing population:
a, Much of the population growth comes from the poorest countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, while slowing growth rate is experienced in high-income countries.
b, The environmental impact: Our levels of production and consumption are unsustainable.
c, Experts are forecasting slower growth ahead.
