Don’t be afraid, the Earth’s seven billionth arrival is good for humanity

WE are not alone. According to the UN, there will officially be seven billion of our species on October 31.

Of course, the data is not nearly accurate enough to pinpoint the seven billionth human being. On the contrary, the UN concedes it could be a year or two out in its prediction. But the symbolic date is important and bound to stir up a heated debate.

Are there simply too many of us? Or — and this is the unspoken subtext all too often — are there too many of “them”? Because beneath the raw figures lie huge variations. Over the next 40 years, Africa’s population is projected to double while in parts of Europe, notably in the east, populations will actually shrink.