BBC.com science columnist Gaia Vince discusses the implications of a steadily growing population on the planet’s ability to sustain life in the future. According to Vince, the global population reached an estimated seven billion halfway through 2012, with trends pointing to an increase of two billion in 40 years or less. While there are success stories like Machakos in Kenya, whose population increase was essential for the town to flourish, the article also states that there are more cases where overpopulation caused the opposite.

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