A tangled web: The population explosion

IN 1950, there were only 2.5 billion people in the world. The human population is projected to reach 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, 10.4 billion in the mid-2080s, and perhaps 10.8 billion in 2100, despite a recent slight slowdown in population growth. (Source: United Nations)

As the population grows, the demand for natural resources — clean air, water, energy, minerals, metals and food — also increases. As natural resources are consumed on a large scale, the environment is threatened. Experts say that unless greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are reduced, the Earth's temperature could increase by 2 degrees Celsius by 2034 or in 10 years. This is beyond the target of 1.5 Celsius that climate scientists prescribe to keep the Earth habitable.