POPULATION-GROWTH - SHOULD WE BE WORRIED

Because of continuing acceleration in number of births, in resource us e and in many aspects of environmental rundown, including growing dest ruction of the ecosystem, and encouraged by an exploitive economic sys tem and misuse of technology, the planet's carrying capacity has long been exceeded and any immediate prospect of sustainability has faded. Nearly half the population of the world is below breeding age and, alt hough growth rates are falling in some regions, they are constant in o thers. Family planning has only been effective in limited areas of the world. Any prospect of demographic transition to lower fertility is u ncertain and yet to be realized. The momentum of population growth wil l continue at present rates for at least another twenty years.