Ecosystems spit the dummy over baby boom

THERE are around 6.7 billion people currently on Earth, increasing to around 9 billion by 2050. It takes between one and seven hectares of land to sustain each person, depending on whether they are rich like Australians (6.6ha each) or poor like Somalis (less than 1ha).

Any effective strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions, ease pressure on fisheries or stop destruction of forests and other natural ecosystems must incorporate ways to arrest population growth.

It's remarkable, then, that for the past four years the federal government has spent around $4 billion trying to increase population growth.
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"One for your husband, one for your wife and one for the country."
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The baby bonus was claimed to increase population growth, even though there is already a chronic oversupply of people in the world.
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Back in 2001, Australian women were bearing around 1.71 children -- the lowest fertility rate ever recorded. Since the introduction of the baby bonus, fertility rates have increased above 1.9.
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Most of the 2.5 billion extra people on Earth by 2050 will be born into poverty. The world's poorest nations have fertility rates of around seven children per woman.
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