The world's demographics...When will those over 50 outnumber those under 50?

This is a letter to several groups, including CASS - Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Had an opportunity to enjoy the following article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101126094441.htm

Plenty of notable quotable facts and observations.

Low mortality and low fertility results in a steadily aging population in almost all parts of the world, outside of Africa.

Women outlive men the most in Russia.  What are the implications for Russian children to only have older role models that are exclusively female? 

I find this telling however..

"In August the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) presented a surprising report, in which the researchers urged the authorities to quickly bring the one-child policy to an end. The Chinese social scientists argued instead that people should be encouraged to have more children.

Researchers at CASS have found that it may be difficult to get Chinese people to have more children in the years to come, even if the authorities abandon their current stringent policy. In important areas of China, Chinese women will on average have fewer than 1.5 children in any case, the researchers warn. In order to maintain the current population level women need to have an average of 2.1 children each."

Warn (my emphasis)?  

Consider: A shrinking population doesn't fit into current growth plans.

And:        Those plans don't take into account the public harms that unlimited growth produces.

Having fewer humans has got to be a good thing...from the perspective of the future of the planet's ability to sustain human life, and from the perspective of those future humans!

Therefore, since the "natural" tendency according to CASS Research is for fewer children per family than replacement, why not encourage it, or at least have public/private management plans match the facts, instead of "warning" plan managers of too few people?

Their encouragement of lifting the one child rule may also be motivated by more "democratic" reasons, as the involuntary restriction on human fertility/fecundity are distressing on many of the millions affected.  It is a fascinating social experiment however, and shows how quickly human behavior can change.

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FRISH