The Potential of 7 Billion

This week, the world population hit exactly 7 billion (give or take a few million), coincidentally celebrated by the United Nations on the eve of All Hallows Day, better known as Halloween. The better to scare you with, my dear.

The milestone was marked by hundreds of scary stories predicting the end of the world as we know it, since people are nothing but consuming zombies who are taking over the planet. The primary ways to prevent the inevitable collapse of the entire earth are to stop eating meat and stop using corn for ethanol - preferably stop growing corn - and stop making more people.

In a world where people are seen as a burden, there is little mention of the potential of the seven billion souls they represent. The potential to maintain our precious planet and feed the souls that inhabit it lies in the hearts and minds of those billions. Rather than being afraid that there will not be enough for everyone, we should be excited about the future to see what new and better ways will be devised to produce food.

Seven is a number that traditionally represents the infinite. The potential of seven billion souls is indeed infinite.