What is the actual cause for population growth?

[St Leo]

The health of the average individual, and the way it impacts their lifespan.

Nutritious food, reasonable work conditions, sanitation, comfortable housing and the rest are merely factors that influence health.

Of course, we aren't about to intentionally cut the average the lifespan, so we have to solve the population growth crisis by appealing to human intelligence rather than human nature. The best way of doing is that is by educating and intellectually stimulating as many people of all classes, genders, sexes, creeds, religions, and sexes as possible.

[Ben Kenobi]

So what is the main cause of population growth?

Decline in infant mortality.

What was it like 10,000 years ago? Why did they have children? To work the land? Did they have many children or just 1 or 2?

Most of the time, they would have had many more children then just one or 2.

Throughout the ages what has caused population growth exactly? Did the advanced Civilizations (such as the romans) have many children? Or just the underdeveloped civilizations?

One of the causes of the decline of the Roman empire, was their decline in relative population growth.

Does the amount of food available have any effect at all? I seem to recall that starving African countries are overpopulated, yet they have no food; is this true?

The reason they are said to be overpopulated, is because of their food production relative to their population. But their overall population density, is much smaller than other areas in the developed world, (Canada and Australia are exceptions)

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Actually, that tends to result in a population decline, and has one of the strongest correlations with population decline.

yeah i know, thats why i listed it. lack of womens rights means more children.

Not really. The wealthier you are, the less you have to rely upon children to take care of you, and the fewer you need to have to ensure that they will support you.

The poorer you are, often results in just the opposite, that you put everything you have into your kids, who then take care of you when you get older.

Also, if you know that having 3 kids, means 3 kids live to adulthood, then you are less likely to have more than 3 kids. If their future is less certain, then it won't make sense to only have 3.

poor people spend less capital per kid, but have more kids. rich people have less kids, but spend more on each of them. (poor as in 3rd world, rich as in 1st world.) less resources also means more of the kids die young, so you need to have more in order to have a family. (which is what you said) its just a trade off. poor people have less oppertunity cost to having kids, so they have more (which takes up more of their time)

[Whoha]

Originally posted by MrFun

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
people ****ing, duh

[Space05us]

[SIZE=1] At the same time Americans are fat lazy bastards and we aren't growing out of proportion.

I am 5'9" and I weigh 150lbs. I work my ass off every day, and have goals in life that I want to achieve. One of them being a huge family. I am an American.

So STFU!

[Ben Kenobi]

Interesting question. Also, on a side note, I heard that in order for a population to be considered "growing' that each family must have 2.1 kids... I believe that it's was 2.1 kids/per every two people or something like that, and that Europe is around 1.5 and is therefore shrinking!

Is that true?

Yes, and UN estimates, indicate that the world population will be in decline by 2050. Earlier if their minimum projections are correct.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Japher
Why is the population growth negative in Italy?

because they aren't having 2.1 births per female there.

[Japher]

I am 5'9" and I weigh 150lbs. I work my ass off every day, and have goals in life that I want to achieve. One of them being a huge family. I am an American.

So STFU!

I'm an American too (in case you forgot).. I just make blanket generalizations about myself so I can do it to others without being labeled a hypocrit... So CALM DOWN!!!

[el freako]

Originally posted by Japher
Why is the population growth negative in Italy?

But it's not negative, admittedly 1.5% growth over a decade isn't exactly fast (even by european standards) but there are still over a million more italians today than a decade ago.

I thought it was only evil commies who made up statistics to prove their points?

[Japher]

I didn't make up any statistics... where did I give any numbers? I, for one, want more Italians... especially if they look like Monica Beluci

[Odin]

I'm not having kids, my selfish genes can go jump in a lake. I just wish there were a lot more people with the same idea...

[Sandman]

Birth rates, death rates, immigration and emigration. Of course, each of these have their own set of causes as well.

[el freako]

Originally posted by Japher
I didn't make up any statistics... where did I give any numbers?

Well you claimed that Italy's population was falling.

Either you just made that up without bothering to check, or you actually think that 56.44m is larger than 57.48m.

So which do you have the trouble with, telling the truth or simple mathematics?

[curtsibling]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
people ****ing, duh

When there is no food, the babies won't live long...Duh!

(commies, pah!)

[Kidlicious]

I think accurately it would be both increase in the food supply and better sanitation taken together, which have caused the exponential population growth. Neither one could have caused it alone.