The world celebrated the historic birth of the seven billionth baby on Monday Oct. 31. Although specific babies born on that day were chosen to represent the population increase, the United Nations noted how impossible it is to know exactly where or when the seven billionth person was born due to the millions of births and deaths that occur every day.
The estimated number of births on Monday exceeded 380,000 and each and every person born helped raise the worldwide question about the important future need for food, water and energy.
The historic mark was reached because people are living longer and the number of infant deaths has decreased.
In fact, with each passing generation and each person added to the population, the more we are forced to confront our growing ability to extend human life. Not just in terms of numerical expansion but in terms of rapidly evolving methods of keeping us alive longer.
A more secure food supply, advances in medicine and an expansion in sanitation are all components for these theories.
With an estimated 900 million people suffering from starvation in 2010, the increase in population called for some discussion about future plans including the need for more resources.
Members of the United Nations asked world leaders to become aware of the challenges of increasing population. They need to start initiating plans to create a more sustainable world for everyone.
It took only until 1804 for the world to reach one billion people and over a century more before it hit two billion in 1927.
Since then, the population has hit three billion in 1959, four billion in 1974, five billion in 1987, six billion in 1998 and now seven billion in 2011.
The United Nations estimates a world population of nine billion people by 2050. With an accelerating population, the world will need a plan, sooner rather than later.
