In The News

Gray Menace

Brad Glosserman, Tomoko Tsunoda July 31, 2009
At 21.5 percent, Japan has the highest proportion of its population over age 65 of any country in the world. It also has one of the world’s lowest birth rates, leading to an expectation that Japan’s population will shrink from its current 127 million to 89 million by 2055. This demographic shift is likely to have a variety of domestic consequences, including a decline in economic growth, lower...

Population: Some Boom, Some Decline

Joseph Chamie March 18, 2009
World population nearly quadrupled during the 20th century, and in early March, US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that by 2025 it could grow by another 1 billion people. That would put pressure on the global environment as well as on food, water and energy supplies, setting up the potential for conflicts over resources. While...

Many in Denial Over Rising Population

Mark O'Connor January 2, 2009
As 2008 came to a close, government leaders fretted about ongoing conflicts and economic crisis. But few admit that a climbing population exacerbates any problems, argues Mark O’Connor in an essay for the Sydney Morning Herald. O’Connor’s essay focuses on Australia as one of the few developed nations that reports an above-average birth rate. A larger population results in more pressure for the...

Don't Go There

Elizabeth Becker September 3, 2008
In an increasingly crowded world, travelers find it more difficult to find remote and natural settings. “Thanks to globalization and cheap transportation, there aren't many places where you can travel today to avoid the masses of adventure or relaxation-seekers who seem to alight at every conceivable site,” writes Elizabeth Becker for the Washington Post. The industrial nature of modern...

Supply Chinks

Nayan Chanda June 3, 2008
Even though the global supply chain has grown tremendously, the quality of products produced in other parts of the world has diminished. In fact, labels have become more misleading. A label stating that the product is “Made in China” is not necessarily true. According to Nayan Chanda, it is actually "made in the world." And the origin of some products or ingredients is never truly...

The Threat of Global Food Shortages – Part I

C. Peter Timmer May 5, 2008
Climate change, reduced availability of land for agriculture, growing populations in the poorest parts of the world, increased demand from a growing middle class in China and India, rising fuel costs and development of biofuels are among the reasons cited for food shortages and high prices. This two-part YaleGlobal series explores the phenomenon that has been anticipated by global experts in...

Outpacing Resources

Nayan Chanda April 15, 2008
In 1798, economist Thomas Malthus predicted that population growth could lead to declining resources and catastrophe. The global population was then less than a billion, and critics dismissed his concerns. Now, the human population has grown more than sixfold, and is estimated to reach 9 billion in less than 50 years. Shortages of basic resources, including oil, food and water are not uncommon in...