Overpopulation is everybody's sin, isn't it?

This line from Italian poet Dante’s 14th-century masterpiece “The Divine Comedy” is used repeatedly by Dan Brown in his latest novel, “Inferno”. As the American author points out in his novel, the quote should not be taken lightly as it involves everyone on earth.

“Inferno”, named after one of three parts of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, takes as its theme the world’s incessantly-growing population. Apparently, Brown is concerned at the sharp growth in the past few centuries and what this might mean for our future.

It is indeed alarming. The world is now home to over 7 billion people, about seven times more than in 1804, says the UN. By 2050, that figure is projected to surpass 9 billion.

Dig deeper into the global statistics and you discover there were about 19 births for every eight deaths in 2013, a mismatch fuelled by advances in medical technology.

In the character of Bertrand Zobrist, a geneticist, Brown comes up with a solution to save mankind from overpopulation: the sterilisation of one third of the people on earth. Dante’s line crops up when Zobrist condemns global organisations for their inaction in controlling the population rise.

Brown’s theme is hardly new. Released in cinemas last year, “The Purge” depicts a future world in which population is artificially controlled by declaring that one night a year, all crime is legal – including murder. The horror ratchets up when, during one of these free-for-alls, a family is besieged in their home.

Could overpopulation turn out to be that dreadful?

Maybe. 

Nowadays, some of us (including me) refuse to visit shopping malls at the weekend. Meanwhile, over long weekends some opt to stay in Bangkok rather than heading to popular destinations, knowing they would have to fight for everything from road space to a seat at a restaurant. The rising population also means today’s parents are making more effort to ensure their kids have a good education as competition for jobs intensifies. 

More importantly, natural resources are being depleted at a faster rate. By one estimate, the current global population is already two to three times greater than the sustainable level. If European standards of living are applied, the earth’s resources could only sustain about 2 billion people. Imagine if all 9 billion had mobile phones – which needed to be recharged every day. How many new power plants would we need?

There’s no doubt that technology needs time to catch up with demand. Scientists recently brought us good news with the possibility that nuclear fusion (rather than fission) could produce clean and plentiful electricity sooner than we think. Yet they conceded that a safe fusion method is still at least 50 years away. Fossil fuels and conventional nuclear, topped up with alternative energy, are still what powers the planet.

And in this scenario of limited resources, what is the existing population doing? Individually, we breathe and eat, struggle through our daily lives and dream of bettering ourselves. Thais are often considered a kind and helpful people, but it was only recently that a spirit of social responsibility was systematically introduced in Thai society. After public pressure plus measures by the authorities, some Thai companies are being more responsible for society and the environment. Thai governments meanwhile send mixed signals, with policies focused on promoting consumption, but too little done to tackle problems like overpopulation. 

One glaring problem is unintended pregnancies.

Each year an estimated 123 million women give birth after planned pregnancies, says the World Health Organisation. But about 87 million more become pregnant unintentionally. Thailand’s problem is complicated by the high rate of teenagers becoming pregnant. Of every 1,000 births in Thailand, about 54 are to mothers aged 15-19. This rate is among the highest in the world, and 10 times higher than Singapore’s.

Many pregnant Thai teens end up at abortion clinics. If they do decide to have the baby, the child’s care often becomes a problem. Ever visit an orphanage? Most operate through government funding and donations, offering basic care. Needless to say, few orphans ever make it to university. Handicapped from the beginning, they find themselves competing with wealthier and better-educated peers in the fight for a slice of precious resources.

Thais have actively criticised governments for spending poorly on education, but they have put little pressure on targeting spending directly at students. The Revenue Department has also conceded that despite a 200-per-cent tax deduction on donations for education purposes, few Thais do so.

Most of us would agree that improving education is the priority in tackling problems like income inequality and uneven access to information and opportunity. What’s blocking agreement on action is that, in arguing over this issue, people are relying solely on the words of others. Instead, we need to do our own research and find verifiable information – then, maybe, Thailand could tackle the issue and become a role model for the entire world.

Everybody can do his or her own bit to make their society and the world a better place to live. A good reminder is that we are not the last generation. Our children will live on after us, and they shouldn’t have to fight for everything, when our actions today could make their lives easier.

We shouldn’t wait. As Dante said: “There is no greater sorrow than to recall our times of joy in wretchedness.”