Is Josiah Reese Alvarez the seven billionth person in the world?
By: Douglas Heizer
Elsewhere in today’s edition you’ll find my offering of personal best wishes to Erica and Raymond Alvarez on the birth of a son, Josiah Reese Alvarez, who entered this world at 12:04 a.m. on Oct. 29.
Around the time my new friends gave birth to their son, I was reading a report on the Internet saying that the population of the world was about to hit seven billion.
Imagine that! Seven billion people in the world. Seven billion mouths to feed every day. Fourteen billion eyes watching us, 14 billion ears tuning in to what is happening around the globe.
According to the United Nations, the seven billionth person was to be born on Halloween – an odd day for such a significant event in the earth’s population total. Still, who really knew exactly when the seven billionth person would be born? For that matter, who knows for sure that the population of the world has actually hit the magic figure? Little Josiah may have won the blue ribbon for being the seven billionth, but who knows with certainty? By the time you counted all seven billion, there will probably be another billion to add in.
Actually, it is scheduled to happen more quickly than you think. Just 12 years ago, the earth was home to 6 billion people, according to the UN, and back in the 1960s, the earth’s population measured only half that number — three billion.
And in the time of our founding fathers, there were just a single billion inhabitants on earth.
Scientists have narrowed down the spot where the seven billionth child is or was likely to be born – India. A baby is born in India nearly every second, making it the fastest growing country in the world. India’s population is expected to surpass that of China, currently the world’s most populous country, in only 14 years.
And in a mere decade, scientists said, we’ll be preparing to welcome the eight billionth person into the world.
I know there are concerns about overpopulation, adequate food, water and sanitation worries, available land for homes and proper education and employment.
I prefer to be optimistic about new babies being born. Life is a wonderful thing, and something to be heralded. I think we can be cautious without being grim.
With about 250 people being born every minute, UN officials said they are now urging world leaders to help keep up with the demand, with adequate food and clean water, to help ensure the population can be something to celebrate, not worry about.
By the way, the population of the world is expected to hit 10 billion by the year 2100.
Speaking of growth, Alliance Residential Company will host a groundbreaking ceremony at a 17-acre parcel of land located at 7801 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton on Wednesday, November 9 at 11 a.m. The company plans to build a $62 million luxury apartment community consisting of 384 residential units called Broadstone at North Boca Village. The deal closed on Sept. 29 and Alliance anticipates initial lease-up to begin in the third quarter of 2012, with final completion expected in March 2013.
This area was to be North Boca Village, a massive, multi-use facility approved several years ago, but fell through after the company planning it went bankrupt. The property is the site of the former Levitz Plaza.
The new development will be a key to revitalizing the North Federal corridor.
