Overpopulation and overconsumption. Combating the two main drivers of global destruction [editorial]

Commentary is directed to the accomplishments of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and responses to overpopulation. The benefit of the summit was not in the agreements but in the debate. The overwhelming understanding was that environmental degradation is linked with overpopulation poverty development excessive consumption and relations between rich and poor nations. Inadequate attention in the final statement was directed to overpopulation and overconsumption. The US President in a reelection position remained noncommittal on overconsumption. The Vatican and anti-abortion lobbies influenced the position on overpopulation. Population control will be a sensitive issues in the 1990s because rich countries are in an awkward portion to preach about overpopulation to poor countries where most population growth is occurring. There are many complex factors involved with the issue of population growth. State intervention in personal decision making has not always as in the case of India and China been without excess. Politicians are afraid of losing the Catholic vote. Mistakes have been made in the dire predictions of the 1960s. None of these reasons is sufficient to ignore or become bored with overpopulation. Population growth has resulted from lower global death rates and birth rates which have fallen only in the rich world. It is likely that world population will grown by 3.5 billion or more to reach 8 billion in 2025. This means a fourfold decrease over 100 years. Population must be kept on government agendas at the village state and international level. One way to accomplish this end is for physicians to become more politically involved within their profession and in conjunction with other professions. Collaboration between professions will contribute to better solutions and to a larger pressure group at the world conference on overpopulation in Cairo in order to overwhelm the small interests that dominated past world conferences. Notwithstanding population increases energy consumption increases grew even faster. Energy consumption grew from 1 terawatt in 1890 to 3.3 terawatts in 1950 and to 13.7 terawatts in 1990. So far growth is concentrated in developed countries and is linked with standard of living. Energy availability will not keep pace with demand.