7 Billion And Counting: Can Earth Handle It?
January 6, 2011 - NEAL CONAN, host:
This is TALK OF THE NATION. Im Neal Conan broadcasting, today, from the Grosvenor Auditorium at National Geographic in Washington, D.C.
(Soundbite of applause)
CONAN: Seven billion people will inhabit the Earth by the end of this year, a number that's difficult to fathom. Over the past 50 years, our numbers have grown at a clip never before seen in the course of human history.
Farmlands became towns, cities mushroomed into megatropolises, and humanity now occupies once-remote places, to the extent that some scientists now refer to this as the Age of Man.
And all this change comes as glaciers melt, forests dwindle, many species struggle to survive, and millions of people go hungry every day and live without clean water.
Today we want to hear from those of you who have seen the effect of our changing population as it grows in some places and ages in others. We'd especially like to hear from those of you have lived abroad: 800-989-8255 is the phone number. The email address, talk@npr.org. You can join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. We'll also take questions from members of the audience here at the Grosvenor Auditorium.
Joining me on stage is Robert Kunzig senior editor for the environment for National Geographic magazine, author of the January issue's cover story. Nice to have you with us today.
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