Six Billion and Beyond

Sometime around October 12, 1999, the six billionth person was born into the world. There has been more population growth since 1950 than in the previous four million years of mankind's history. Half the world's population is currently under 25 years of age. Want more facts and factoids? This video on population ecology and politics offers them in abundance, both via the narrative track and on ultimately annoying intertitles. What it doesn't offer is a sustained analysis of the complex issues presented. Slicky shot and briskly edited, Six Billion and Beyond provides an expediently perfunctory look at population growth and its impact on the urban and rural environments and economies of six countries--Mexico (City), Kenya, India, China, Italy, and the U.S. An attempt is made in each of these case studies to make a connection between population and the quality of human life, as well as chronicle the relationship between social and political change and population patterns. There's also an all-too-brief discussion of changing approaches to population control, and the importance of preserving human rights (particularly women's rights), and--in the case of Mexico, India, and China--first person narratives by young adults on current problems and concerns. As might be expected in an attempt to cover territory this far flung, there's a tendency toward sketchiness, leaving a lot of questions unanswered (the role of the Church in Mexican population politics is briefly discussed, but is completely ignored in the segment on Italy). Although this video would be an optional discussion-opener for high schools and undergraduate courses, better choices here would be Bullfrog Films' Not The Numbers Game (VL-7/98) for older students, or Decade of Decision (VL-7/95) for younger. Aud: H, C, P. (G. Handman)