| Population Boom Imperils Future |
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Six million people in Sydney and 35 million in Australia by 2050 – how many times have these figure been reported in the past few weeks? Recently the growth rate has risen to 1.8%, which will actually lead to a population of 40 million by 2050 and over 90 million by the end of this century, so the recent figures still have not revealed the whole story (data by John Coulter in "Overloading Australia"). Whether 35 million or 40 million: who decided these numbers? We are not able to manage the current population sustainably, and there is no possibility of meeting even the most feeble targets for reducing CO2 emissions. The Australian Academy of Science advises the quality of life for Australians will decline as population increases beyond current levels. Tim Flannery is more emphatic, advising that we have already exceeded the sustainable limit. Both major political parties embrace high growth, regardless of social and environmental costs. Here in the North-West, we deal daily with the consequences of inappropriate, unplanned growth. The Greens promote an independent study to determine the Australia’s sustainable population.
Colin Dawson Convenor, Hills Greens |
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