What's happening?

The Earth is more crowded than ever before. By 15 November 2022, there will likely be eight billion people living on the planet. 

The people living on Earth are putting stress on the planet. Humans are causing climate changeLong-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human action is a major cause of climate change.. The plastic we throw away has been found at the bottom of the sea. 

Now, some top thinkers are worried - but not for the reason you might think. Today, for the first time in history, there are more people over the age of 65 in the world than under the age of five.

This is because in many countries, women are not having as many babies as in the past. This is true in many rich countries, such as SingaporeA country in South East Asia, with a population of just under six million.. 

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This could be a problem in the future. Soon, some countries might not have enough young people to work and look after older people. 

Do we need to have more babies?

Yes! We need more people to be born to look after the people who are getting old. There are not enough people being born, not too many!

No! There are far too many people on the Earth. We are hurting the planet we live on. Fewer people would put less stress on the Earth.