It is ironic to read the paper in last weeks New Scientist whoch,
although recognising that the planet's population is currently
expanding at a rate of ca 80M each year notes (with concern) that
many nations now have a birthrate that is well below that required
to replace the existing population. It predicts a possible population
crash after about 2050 with nations 'fighting' for immigrants of
working age and capability.

Italy with a birthrate fallen to 1.3 per female seems to be leading
the way, but UK, USA, China (and India and Pakistan) are well
below the critical 2.1 required for replecement.

Personally I find some comfort in these figures - but please check
them in the original paper since I am quoting from memory. It
seems that there may be some hope of managing a transition to a
stable and slowly declining population whilst it is determined what
IS a sustainable human population for the planet?

I am concerned if the interpretation of the message of the paper is
taken to be that we should be trying to increase the birthrate to
1970's rates again!

Hope this reduces feelings of guilt - sorry it provides no real
answers.

Alan

But yes it should be on the agenda for schools but it must be clear
that there is no known answer to the problems and there will
almost certainly be a whole host of complex and interrelated
actions needed if sustainability is ever to be approached.

To: science-education@...
From: "shiyammy" <shiyammy@...>
Date sent: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 07:03:04 -0000
Subject: [science-education] Re: Environmental education and
our(planet's) survival
Send reply to: science-education@...

> --- In science-education@y..., "shiyammy" <shiyammy@y...> wrote:
> > Folks
> > Environmental education/concerns are given too little attention in
> > schools. Is it Bacherlardian(?) ignorance?
> >
> > Human activities are too novel, too much and too fast for the rest
> of
> > the planet to respond to adequately. If science is making sense of
> > the world around us and education is preparation for life in a
> > changing society what are science educators supposed to be doing?
> >
> > Feeling guilty about having brought two children into this planet
> > Puni Selvaratnam
>
> Folks
>
> One of the most dangerous (and scantily tackled) problems facing us
> is population explosion. Over the last 30/40 years millions of
> parents all over the world have been restricting(compulsorily or
> voluntarily) themselves to one or two children (though many would
> have loved to have more) as a contribution towards controlling the
> population of the species. I am horrified to hear that at this
> juncture of human history some mothers are trying to have fourth and
> fifth children in their late forties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Compulsory Science education(that would explain why it's risky to
> conceive children in our late forties) and compulsory Citizenship
> education(that would explain how everyone of us, rich or poor, is
> responsible for the welfare of the whole race) have come too late for
> them.
>
> I'm just trying to work out how this compares with the illogic
> of 'sharing' CO2 quota between countries.
>
> Tiding is rising and time is running out.
> Puni Selvaratnam
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> About this list:
>
> homepage:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/science-education/
>
>
> Purpose: a forum for open discussion about any aspect of science education
>
> Membership: open to all with an interest
>
> Dr. Keith Taber, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.
> http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/staff/taber.html
>
> to join a discussion list with the particular theme of LEARNING in SCIENCE,
please visit:
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>
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>


Alan Goodwin
Manchester Metropolitan University
Institute of Education
799 Wilmslow Road
Manchester M20 2RR
UK

Tel +44 (161) 247 2290
Fax +44 (161) 247 6801
E-Mail A.Goodwin@...