If you read my previous post about maps for Haitian schoolchildren, you heard me allude to a new, short video about the global human population, produced by National Geographic.

The core of the message is probably old news to many of you: Global population has been growing at meteoric rates since the Industrial Revolution and will become increasingly problematic in coming years–even though growth rates are not as high as they once were in most areas of the world, and even though birth rates are in fact below replacement levels in many parts of Western and Eastern Europe. Still, we’re all going to starve and die, blah blah.

But, in fact, it appears we might not–that is, starve and die.

Did you know that the entire global population of 7
billion people could stand shoulder to shoulder in the city of Los
Angeles, California? That leaves a lot of space for growing room.

The video provides hope, calling upon us citizens of the world
to consider the impacts a growing population can have on the
planet, and how we can balance finite resources among a global
community. “Balance” is the buzzword used. Nice. And then, at the conclusion of the video, there’s a plug for viewers to follow a year of
coverage on the boom–or maybe it’s a boon?–through the compelling
storytelling and photography of National Geographic magazine.

Engaging video. Important issue. I hope the clip goes viral–even
though I hear that concept is so 2010–apparently it’s up to a quarter
million hits already on YouTube. If you dig it and care about
population growth, even a little bit, please help spread the message by sharing the video!