Editorial

What’s Carrying Capacity Got to Do with It?
Jane O’Sullivan
On a finite planet, no rational person can entertain the idea of infinite population. But when is enough enough, or is that the wrong question?

Why Australia Needs a Sustainable Population Policy
Peter Howat and Melissa Stoneham
Australia urgently needs to develop a sustainable population policy. There is strong evidence that if we let our population keep growing as fast as it is doing now (about 2% a year) our quality of life in Australia is likely to decline.

Australia’s Future Population Growth: An Important Issue for All Australians
Graeme Hugo
The dynamics of contemporary Australian population growth and the projections of future growth are hot topics. Australia needs to develop an informed and inclusive vision of its future population.

Why We Need to Stabilise Our Population
Ian Lowe
Population growth is stressing our environment and causing social strains, while its claimed economic benefits are questionable. A rational assessment leads inevitably to the conclusion that we should aim to stabilise our population.

Environment and Economy: Can They Co-Exist in the “Smart State”?
Simon Baltais
We live in times where many believe we must grow to build a strong and successful economy. Is a bigger economy better, and what do we stand to lose in south-east Queensland if we continue to grow?

The Double-Edged Sword of Technology
Graham M. Turner
When questions of population growth and sustainability are debated, the silver bullet of technological progress is usually proposed or implied. But historical evidence and simulations of the future demonstrate the danger of relying on technology.

Australia’s Future Population: Can We Forecast and How Should We Plan?
Charlie Nelson
How are forecasts, targets and scenarios used to plan for population growth? Is bigger necessarily better when we look beyond GDP to measures such as life expectancy and happiness?

Population, Planning and Perhaps Getting it Wrong
John Minnery
An example of City of Brisbane planning in the 1940s illustrates that population projections are sometimes wildly inaccurate.

State of World Population 2009: A Summary
Gaye McDermott
The latest United Nations Population Fund Report addresses questions about women, population and climate change.

Family Planning: Facing the Cause and Effects of Climate Change
Claire Maloney
Debates around solutions for climate change are often based upon reduction of greenhouse gases and other environmental measures. Marie Stopes International Australia is advocating for family planning to be considered as part of an environmental strategy to help growing communities adapt to climate change.

Planning for Population Growth
Graham Bradley
Well-planned growth of Australia’s population is in the best interests of the nation.

Healthy Mothers Make Healthy Communities
Amelia Poxon
As Australia’s population grows, cities expand, house prices rise and transport systems struggle to keep up. But imagine if you lived in a developing country where access to basic services is already difficult.

Population Ageing
Derryn Wilson
Population ageing presents both new challenges and opportunities for governments and communities. It is a global phenomenon, but local areas and nations are at different stages and much is to be learnt from sharing experiences.