The Seven Billion Business Solution?

Being seven million strong has renewed talk about the implications of an overpopulated world. The issues are not only providing enough food and water, but also the environmental consequences of being so numerous and growing. To some there’s human rights implications as well since more people could mean more abuses. Still some fear problems with the pace of development spelling a higher poverty rate. And yet there are those for whom a growing population is a boon. Some business newsletters advise taking advantage of population growth, of trying to see what the projected demographics indicate and adjust business opportunities accordingly. It’s important for businesses to be profitable, and the advice is sound, certainly based on fact. As long as business strategy is based in the present and near term, it would seem foolish not to use population growth to advantage. But, there’s a wide margin from this pragmatic point of view to encouraging population growth or being against measures that would curb it. Let’s hope business advocates stay on this side of it.