With the Earth’s population now well over seven billion and expected to peak at 10 billion in 2100, scientists across many disciplines are trying to forecast whether such an increase will be sustainable.

Through SFU’s Human Evolutionary Studies Program (HESP), several leading international thinkers are presenting five, free public lectures in the New Year, intended to provoke crystal-ball-type analysis of what an overpopulated planet will be like. They will explore the impact of a mushrooming population on the world’s demographics, genetics, cultures, ethics, economics and resources. The 7 p.m. lectures, Jan. 24-Mar. 7, run at SFU Vancouver, Harbour Centre.

Mark Collard, an SFU archaeology professor and Canada Research Chair in Human Evolutionary Studies, and Arne Mooers, an SFU biology professor, involved in the HESP in the Faculty of Health Sciences are available to comment.

“Our massive population size is one of the things that makes humans unusual among primates,” says Collard. “Most other species number in the thousands and none gets into the tens of millions, let alone the billions. So there are interesting evolutionary questions about how our population arose and whether it can be maintained.”

“To understand human population growth,” says Mooers, “we need to understand both its biological and cultural drivers, and that kind of analysis is the HESP’s mission.”

Mark Collard, 778.782.8166, mcollard@sfu.ca, mark.collard@shaw.ca
Arne Mooers, available after 9:00 a.m. PST tomorrow until Dec. 30, 1.506.458.1470/1.506.462.0985 as of Dec. 31 back in Vancouver, 778.782.3979, 604.818.1627 (cell), amooers@sfu.ca, skype: arnemooers