About these slides:

1. About these slides: • These slides were developed for David Lam’s presidential address to the 2011 annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Washington, D.C., April 1, 2011. They have been revised since the address to incorporate the U.N.’s latest population estimates. The notes roughly follow the script of the presidential address. • The slides are available for public use under the following conditions: • The original source must be acknowledged. • They are only to be used for educational purposes. • The slides can be modified and separated as long as the content is not substantially altered and each slide retains the author and title information at the bottom of the slide. • Note that the slides are not intended to stand alone, but are to accompany the written version of the paper: • David Lam, “How the world survived the population bomb: Lessons from 50 years of • extraordinary demographic history,” Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, August 2011. • Excellent research assistance in production of the paper and the slides was provided by Kendra Goostrey. • David Lam • Professor, Department of Economics • Research Professor, Population Studies Center • University of Michigan • davidl@umich.edu • http://personal.psc.isr.umich.edu/~davidl/August 10, 2011

2. How the World Survived the Population Bomb Lessons from 50 Years of Extraordinary Demographic History David Lam University of Michigan

3. World population is projected to reach 7 billion in 2011. We reached 6 billion in 1999. United Nations Population Division Estimates David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

4. Thomas Malthus 1766-1834 David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

5. 1960 World population reached 3 billion Time Magazine January 1960 David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

6. 1963 World population growth reached 2.2% per year. U.S. Census Bureau Estimates David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

7. 1968 Paul Ehrlich publishes The Population Bomb David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

8. How unusual was the demography of the 1960s? David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

9. World Population Doubling times 39 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

10. World Population Doubling times 39 years 70 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

11. World Population Doubling times 39 years 70 years 150 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

12. World Population Doubling times 39 years 70 years 150 years 500 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

13. World Population Doubling times 39 years 70 years 150 years 500 years 1200 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

14. World Population Doubling times 39 years What is the next number in this sequence? 70 years 150 years 500 years 1200 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

15. How many years from 1999 until the world population reaches 12 billion? a. 20 years b. 30 years c. 40 years d. 60 years e. 100 years f. Over 100 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

16. How many years from 1999 until the world population reaches 12 billion? a. 20 years b. 30 years c. 40 years d. 60 years e. 100 years f. Over 100 years David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

17. How many years from 1999 until the world population reaches 12 billion? a. 20 years b. 30 years c. 40 years d. 60 years e. 100 years f. Over 100 years g. Over 1000 years? David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

18. How many years from 1999 until the world population reaches 12 billion? a. 20 years b. 30 years c. 40 years d. 60 years e. 100 years f. Over 100 years g. Over 1000 years? h. Forever? David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

19. U.N. projections of world population to 2100 High, Medium, and Low Variants UN Population Division Estimates - 2010 revision David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

20. Annual growth rate of world population 1968 2.03% (UN) 1963 2.19% (Census Bureau) UN estimates and projections Census Bureau estimates and projections 2010 1.15% Pre-1950 estimates UN Population Division Estimates - 2010 revision David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

21. The Demographic Transition David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

22. Demographic Transition Southeast Asia Crude Birth Rate Rate of Natural Increase Crude Death Rate per 1000 population David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

23. Demographic Transition Sub-Saharan Africa Birth rate Rate of Natural Increase Death rate per 1000 population David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

24. Demographic Transition World Crude Birth Rate Rate of Natural Increase Crude Death Rate per 1000 population David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

25. Three Big Concerns 1. Would we be able to feed everyone? 2. Would we run out of resources? 3. Would poverty increase? David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

26. Food Production David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

27. “The world, especially the developing world, is rapidly running out of food…. In fact, the battle to feed humanity is already lost, in the sense that we will not be able to prevent large-scale famines in the next decade or so.” - Paul Ehrlich, The Population Bomb, 1968 David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

28. World Food Production 1961-1980 (1961=100) Population Total Food Production Per Capita Food Production Source: Food and Agriculture Organization David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

29. “As the 1980’s begin, the growth in world production is losing momentum and its excess over population growth is narrowing.” Lester Brown, Science 1981 David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

30. World Food Production 1961-2009 (1961=100) Total Food Production Population Population Per Capita Food Production Total Food Production Per Capita Food Production Food and Agriculture Organization David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

31. Food Production in India David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

32. “My examination of the trend of India’s grain production over the last eighteen years leads me to the conclusion that the present 1967-1968 production…is at a maximum level.” • Louis H. Bean, • quoted in Paul Ehrlich, • The Population Bomb, 1968 David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

33. India Food Production 1961-1990 (1961=100) Total Food Production Population Per Capita Food Production Food and Agriculture Organization David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

34. “Since 1983, India’s rising grain production has lost momentum….the country appears to be facing a catastrophic problem in the 1990s...” Paul Ehrlich & Anne Ehrlich The Population Explosion, 1990 David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

35. India Food Production 1961-2009 (1961=100) Total Food Production Population Population Total Food Production Per Capita Food Production Per Capita Food Production Food and Agriculture Organization David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

36. Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

37. Sub-Saharan Africa Food Production 1961=100 Population Total Food Production Per Capita Food Production David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

38. “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” Yogi Berra and/or Neils Bohr David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

39. Resource Depletion David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

40. Julian Simon David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

41. “If you are prepared to pay me now the current market price for $1,000 worth of any mineral you name, I will agree to pay you the market price of the same amount of that raw material on any future date you now specify.” Julian Simon, 1981 The Ultimate Resource David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

42. Julian Simon’s bet with Paul Ehrlich Total inflation-adjusted cost fell from $1000 in 1980 to $618 in 1990 David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

43. Real prices of metals1960-2010 (1980=100) Nickel Simon-Ehrlich bet Copper Chromium Tungsten Tin Source: USGS David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

44. Real commodity prices 1960-2010 (1980=100) Food Non-Energy Energy Source: World Bank David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

45. Poverty David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

46. Percent in Poverty Low and Middle Income Countries (in 2005 US dollars) < $2.00 per day < $1.25 per day < $1.25 per day excluding China World Bank estimates David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

47. Number in Poverty (Billions) Low and Middle Income Countries < $2.00 per day < $1.25 per day < $1.25 per day (excluding China) World Bank estimates David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

48. Percent in Poverty <$1.25 per day Sub-Saharan Africa South Asia East Asia Latin America World Bank estimates David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

49. How did we survive? David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011

50. Economics 1. Market responses 2. Innovation 3. Globalization David Lam, How the world survived the population bomb, University of Michigan Population Studies Center, 2011