By 2050, the planet’s population will increase to 9 billion, with most people migrating to massive cities. Better vaccines will lessen the epidemic of HIV and offset flu pandemics. The global economy will quadruple. Demand for food, fresh water and raw materials for construction and heat will stretch natural resources to their limits, according to an analysis released Thursday.
Stephen Carpenter, a lead author of the report and expert on ecosystem management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is quoted.