Moderated by Bill Eisenhardt

“Sometime this summer in an incidental conversation someone said that there are more people alive today than the total of all persons who had lived before.  That comment intrigued me so that when Anne asked if I would moderate a discussion (not a lecture!) this summer I thought that I may as well explore what appeared to be hyper-exponential population growth.  Well I learned that that comment was a misstatement, but that there were lots of other interesting topics that related to population growth, particularly in light of our national angst over immigration, climate change, women’s reproduction rights, social security and healthcare.”

“So if you’d like to join me in a discussion onhuman population we will be doing so on July 24^th. The library will have some readings available in addition to what you may find on your own.  I suggest reading the first chapter in Meadows, Randers and Meadows Limits to Growth: The Thirty Year Update to get the sense of the concept of “overshoot”.  The preface, first and last chapters in Empty Planet by Brickner and Ibbitson may be interesting to you as well.  The 3rd trend (aging) in Gary Marx’s 21 Trends for the 21^stCentury is also pertinent.  And maybe peek at www.WORLDOMETERS.info online for some “real time” eye-popping population data.” Bill Eisenhardt