Population

Today I have been reading about population issues. I have been aware and confused by the lack of government policy for some time but I hadn't realised quite how serious matters are for the UK in particular. My recollection from the late '90s was that UK population was about to go into decline but the economic boom years since then have re-ignited the fire of our population with some estimates showing the UK could have 77 million people by 2050 and 100 million by the end of the century.

What is even more scary is that research into finding a sustainable level of population for the UK shows that we might already have 30 million "too many" people in the country. The vast majority of our wealth and food is generated overseas and south-east England is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

On a global scale many countries have succeeded in bringing their birth rates under control and are entering a period of slow decline in population as a result. Yet none of the main political parties in the UK have a policy on population.

The main reasons seem to be civil liberties and religion. However a policy that sets out to work towards a given target, say 50 million by 2050, doesn't need to infringe upon the rights of any individual as other countries have shown. Some couples will still have large families and immigration will still take place but overall the average will be reduced through "Stop at Two" programmes and availability of contraception.

The big question on my mind today is whether it is all too late. With a soaring population all our efforts to live more sustainably are for nought. The planet will survive and mankind will no doubt survive in much smaller numbers but what of our society? What will get lost along the way? How much pain are we storing up for the next generation?

I want to find out whether it's possible to drive this agenda from the bottom up; if all councils in the UK set their own population reduction targets then there is no need for central government controls.