World population milestone

7 billion (7,000,000,000)

The number of people on Earth topped the 7 billion mark today according to the United Nations Population Fund.  The 6 billion mark was crossed in 1999 and it took the entirety of history until approximately 1804 to reach the 1 billion population figure.  Different projections have the figure reaching between 8 billion and 10.5 billion by 2050, although if the population growth over the past decade were to be used as the basis for future growth – the global population would be between 12 and 13 billion by 2050 and between 18 and 20 billion by 2100.

7 billion lives

If there’s one thing that can be said about this highly connected world that we – as members of the “developed countries” – live in it is that technology has afforded us the ability to “shrink” the planet.  As recently as 20 years ago a comparatively small number of people had email addresses or used the Internet and the Web as we know it was non-existent.  If you wanted knowledge you went to a library and if you were in search of news you could pick up a newspaper or watch your local newscast.  Today there are seemingly limitless options for understanding what is going on in far flung places like Tuvalu, Malta, or Palau.  Additionally, we have a higher degree of exposure to the terrible plights that face many people in the “developing countries” such as civil war, drought, famine, and disease.