For Humans
Regarding the human population, end-targets for an optimum population include ecological sustainability, economic output and philosophical or ethical ends-in-themselves.
Some commentators disagree with the concept of "optimum population", believing that the human population will always, in the long-term, be able to adapt to the requirements of a larger population. Others do not believe it is a helpful concept as any calculation will always be plagued with assumptions, as well as unverifiable predictions, even if it could theoretically exist.
To reach an optimum population, a country must be able to measure human welfare and environmental impacts, as well as having policies in place to influence the fertility rate and net migration. This implies agreement on welfare, environmental issues, accurate projections of immigration, age distribution and changes in lifespan among other factors. Reaching optimum population is an important objective in the wider project of creating a sustainable society.
Read more about this topic: Optimum Population
Famous quotes containing the word humans:
“Because humans are not alone in exhibiting such behavior—bees stockpile royal jelly, birds feather their nests, mice shred paper—it’s possible that a pregnant woman who scrubs her house from floor to ceiling [just before her baby is born] is responding to a biological imperative . . . . Of course there are those who believe that . . . the burst of energy that propels a pregnant woman to clean her house is a perfectly natural response to their mother’s impending visit.”
—Mary Arrigo (20th century)
“All humans have a heart that can tell right from wrong.”
—Chinese proverb.
Mencius.