Explain What Is Meant by “the Population Bomb” and to What...

Explain what is meant by â€Å"The Population Bomb† and to what extent do you agree that this bomb has been diffused. â€Å"Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years.†- Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist The population bomb theory was made popular by Paul Ehrlichs 1968 book â€Å"The Population Bomb†, Ehrlich posited that that â€Å"population growth will increase unabated until a tipping point is reached where food supplies can no longer sustain the growth resulting in a devastating collapse†, characterized by famine and wars (Ehrlich- 1968). The theory bears†¦show more content†¦Major progress has been made in curbing population growth. The United Nations Population facts August 2010 states that there has been substantial declines in fertility, total fertility in the rest of the developing world(excluding the least developed countries) declined by about 50 per cent between 1970-1975 and 2005-2010: from 5.0 to 2.5 children per woman. Additionally fertility in the least developed countries dropped by 34 per cent since 1970-1975, from 6.7 to 4.4 children per woman. Bangladesh is exceptional with a reduction of over 60 per cent, from 6.9 children per woman in 19 70-1975 to an estimated 2.4 in 2005-2010. Annual growth rates and the annual absolute increment of world population are falling. The growth rate peaked at 2.1 per cent per year in the late 1960s and has since fallen to 1.5 per cent (see table 1), and the annual absolute increment to population peaked at about 87 million per year in the late 1980s and is now about 81 million. Population statistics from some key areas seem to indicate that there is a diffusion of the bomb in terms of population growth, most of Southern and Eastern Europe now registering fewer than 1.4 babies per woman. Northern Europe is a little higher but still below replacement levels. Japan 1.3, South Korea1.3, China 1.8, Thailand 1.8, and even Vietnam 2.1 all have fertility rates well below par (Pearce 2008). Declines in world population at a glance may be taken to account for