7 billion Population!

According to the United Nations, today the world has hit a population of 7 billion people.  Geez!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/world-population-not-only-grows-but-grows-old/2011/10/25/gIQAdt17VM_story.html

Apparently we are "going gray"; or in other terms, there are way more old people than there used to be, and way less young people than there used to be.

"The aging of the human race has been faster than anyone could have imagined a few decades ago. Fertility rates have plunged globally; simultaneously, life spans have increased. The result is a re-contoured age graph: The pyramid, once with a tiny number of old folks at the peak and a broad foundation of children, is inverting. In wealthy countries, the graph already has a pronounced middle-age spread."


We do not have enough young children to replace the older people in the work force because of the fertility rates being so low.  Experts always thought it would just be something that took care of itself; but it didn't.  Cultures may change because of this:


"The aging of the world will change cultures in myriad ways. People may have to extend their working lives far beyond the traditional retirement age. Countries may start competing for immigrants. Across the planet, vast numbers of people already are migrating from high-fertility countries to those that need workers"


It will be interesting to grow older in a world where the elderly are more common than the youth and to see what happens in the next 20 years as the world tries to increase fertility rates.