Tuesday 11 January 2011

China's One Child Policy - can the Chinese afford to continue with the policy?

Twenty-five years after it was launched, China's "One Child" population control policy is credited with cutting population growth to an all time low and contributing to two decades of spectacular economic development. But the costs associated with the policy are also apparent and are rising: a growing proportion of elderly with inadequate government or family support, a disproportionately high number of male births attributable to sex selective abortion, increased female infant and child mortality rates, and the collapse of a credible government birth reporting system. Today, as China contemplates the future of the policy, many argue that a change that allows couples to have two children will not lead to uncontrollable population growth. Instead, it could help meet the fertility desires of most Chinese couples; avoid a worsening of the demographic and social consequences already evident; and relieve the Chinese government of the immense financial and political costs of enforcing an unpopular policy. But changes will need to come soon if China is to avert even greater negative consequences of the policy.

Read the PDF from the attached url and link the strategies and consequences to your work on the theories of Population and Resources.

You might want to download the article and cut and paste sections - it contains a good summary of the points For and Against the One Child Policy


Chinese One Child Policy - social impacts


The introduction of the One Child Policy had an impact on fertility rates in some areas of China but the long-term consequences for population growth and social reform are quite different


Watch the video on the link and make notes to accompany your Class Notes.

How will the TFR be influenced by the points raised in the programmes?

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Malthus was right? Discuss

Alarming news about the global food price rises follow the link for more details
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12119539

Where does the MEDCs fit in the shifting balance of power as the emerging economies of China, India and Brazil have to feed themselves?

Some interesting questions related to our studies on Population & Resources.

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Population and Resources

As the world's population approaches 7 billion maintaining the balance of population growth with available resources is an issue facing all nations. How can we maintain our current levels of resource consumption with the projections for a global population reaching 10 - 15  billion by 2050?

Watch this video and make notes on the key issues. How can we plan for a sustainable future? Which theory appears to address the issue - Mathus, Boesrup or the Club of Rome?

http://numaga.com/global/bbc-horizon-how-many-people-can-live-planet-earth-hd


BBC Horizon - How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?