KAEP,

Excellent tongue-in-cheek! (Though perhaps certain amount of truth.) Thanks.

Dempopgrafix, Pericles, et al,

I read this article as applying to the broader world context, and not to Aus itself in isolation - and we all know our Aus birth rate has been below population maintenance level for quite some time, but world rate is the real problem.

The problem we inherit from this is migration exodus - and a major part of the solution to this is to reduce world population expansion (through education, elevation of quality of life and opportunity, as well as access to family planning; ie, real freedom of choice.). Nonetheless, we are not exempt from the overall objective of sustainable world population.

What appears to be a major fly in the ointment is religious fundamentalism - and its interference in affairs of state. (And we can included cultural, nationalistic and identity fundamentalism in this equation.) Someone on this forum once commented that my views often indicate a favouritism for a 'world order'. To be honest, I can't see any viable alternative, in the longer term. So, yes, I confirm that conclusion, and the question in my mind is whether the UN is up to the task.

In a way, conflict has acted in some measure to contain population, but it is an horrific and retrograde expression of human ambition and ingenuity. And, conflict is enormously expensive, in terms of world resources, development-focus and human relations. Cooperation rather than contest has to be the way forward, and this may only be achieved through compromise.

World harmony - an extremely elusive ideal; but, with the rise of China, is there any real alternative? (Other than the world's oldest continuous civilisation becoming the world's only civilisation?) (That, or oblivion.)

The lesser of two (or three) weevils?

KAEP
1. We have been below replacment fertility rates for over 34 years now. FACT!
2. We have grown only because of our NOM.
3. 2011 was the highest year on record for emigration and 25 to 35 years olds are the largest group to leave.
4. "Demographic Momentum" is science, of which you seem to have little understanding of.
5. Our death rates double in the next 25 years and our natutral growth may drop to zero or even negative. The UN have good stats on this.

Saltpetre
1. World growth rates have been dropping.
Time for some real study for you....

KAEP,

Perhaps I have misinterpreted?

My tongue-in-cheek comment was in reference to your posting of 4.15pm on 1 January; however, your subsequent posting of 10.13am today indicates a rather different agenda, and one with which I certainly cannot agree - I can find no justification whatever for your excessively xenophobic stance on Aus' sovereignty and identity.

Geothermal may be a viable energy alternative, and your love affair with geothermal my be visionary, though I can't share your level of enthusiasm; but your injection of your views in this regard into virtually every posting irrespective of relevance to topic is somewhat confusing, and rather boring.

In the end result, do you forget that Aus is an island only in geographical terms?

Dempopgrafix,

So the world achieved 8 billion through divine intervention?

And, are the projections towards 9-10 billion based on all of us living to 130?

Saltpetre
Devine intervention?
The world has had, and still has a positive growtrh rate that has been declining.
Living to 130? No, not seen that stat at all.

http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/visual/visual.php?shortname=population_growth_rate

My comment re study wass directed at KERP, an bot who obviously needs to do some more study.