History of the Mexican Trains Ferrocarriles Research Paper

History of the Mexican Trains Ferrocarriles - Research Paper Example The transportation network has had a major part to play in the economic progression of every nation on the planet. A well constructed and collaborative transportation network is the only guarantee that goods, people and services can be located from one part of the country to another with speed, flexibility and at little cost. Transportation can be seen as having a direct link to economic expansion and sustenance. It is unrealistic to expect that one region or nation has the ability to produce all that it consumes. In a similar manner, it is unrealistic to assume that a region can consume all that it produces. In order to strike the balance between demand and supply of various kinds of goods and service it is essential to have a well planned and integrated transportation network to rely on. Only such a transport network could allow the impeccable coordination required between various sectors of the economy such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, retailing etc. While the provision of a transport network is highly relevant to the modern economic system, but this was not always the case. Instead, a well integrated transportation network was required by nearly all great nations for keeping up with their military ambitions. Economic priorities remained secondary when the creation of a well integrated transportation network was taken into account during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Given the need to move economic goods as well as military goods, the preferential method of enhancing the transport network was to use railway links. This also coincided with the fact that road based automobiles were neither common nor highly appreciated in the nineteenth century. Instead, the railway networks of the era were highly preferred given the technical expertise in manufacturing and operating railway linkages. Another major factor that contributed to the growth of the railways in the era related to disposable incomes and the cost of early automobiles. Early automobi les were not only expensive to buy but were equally fiscally demanding in terms of operating and maintenance costs. The problem was compounded by the fact that the majority of people did not have the kinds of disposable incomes to buy and use road based vehicles as yet. In this scenario, it made far greater sense to set up railway linkages in order to enhance the overall transport infrastructure rather than concentrating on roads and automobiles. Vehement development of the railway networks continued throughout the nineteenth century and through the early to mid parts of the twentieth century around the world. Contemporary super powers and countries looking for economic development all looked towards large railway networks in order to support and sustain their economic growth. It is from this era that the British railway networks emerged and spanned nearly half the globe ranging from Africa to the Tibet plateau. In a similar manner, the United States was bent upon enlarging the exis ting railway network to connect the East Coast to the West Coast. A number of different strategies were adopted in order to provide impetus for the expansion of the existing railway network. Conditions in Germany and France were similar with Germany attempting to bridge the Middle East and Europe using a railway link

Civil Rights, Women, and Diversity (summary) Essay

Civil Rights, Women, and Diversity (summary) - Essay Example She hid her sexual orientation from her coworkers, though people outside work knew that she was a lesbian. After Waits had worked for a year, one day her supervisor found out that Waits was a lesbian. She declared her plans of firing Waits without offering her a sound reason for that. Waits testified to the Congress that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation not be allowed in the workplace. She worked in Texas that offered no protection to gay and lesbian employees unlike most of the other states. Since 1994, bills have been passed instructing the organizations to base their judgment of the employees solely on the basis of their performance. The enforcement of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would be a landmark achievement. However, this law faces extreme challenges from the religious groups and the moral conservatives that base the discrimination against homosexual employees on the religious and spiritual grounds. Advocates of the bill assert that all Americans sho uld be treated fairly and equally and solely be judged according to their performance. This fight constitutes the long history of struggle for the protection of employees’ civil rights. Slavery introduced the practice of discrimination in America. Civil rights were deemed more important than natural rights. Ratification of the US Constitution sanctioned slavery in five clauses. Congress passed constitutional amendments and civil rights acts after the Civil War to abolish slavery, but they were ineffective. Winning of the election by Hayes caused the racism to recede though it reasserted in the South in which the states adopted the Jim Crow laws. Mexican Americans, Chinese, and Japanese workers and others also faced discrimination like the African Americans. Both the American Creed and the laws had failed to abolish discrimination in the 19th and early 20th century. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 narrowed the 14th Amendment’s meaning and made it irrelevant. Ruling over th e Plessy v Ferguson case caused complete destruction of the 14th Amendment and the spread of Jim Crow laws followed. The Civil Rights Movement that was started in the late 1950s led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 whose Title VII prohibits any kind of discrimination in the workplace and enforces the disparate treatment theory has been structuring laws against discrimination till date. The overtly discriminatory signs at the workplace were pushed aside with the enforcement of this law. In the Griggs v. Duke Power case, the Supreme Court declared the requirement of diploma illegal. The EEOC gave the 80 per cent rule to define the unlawful disparate impact. This broadened the range of discrimination that Title VII could strike down. The harm caused to the black employees by past rejection laid ground for affirmative action. Executive Order 11246 is the most affirmative action’s origin. OFCCP enforced the Executive Order 11246 without establishing rigid goals of hiring for the co mpanies. OFCCP uses statistical tools to review the compliance. The Affirmative Action challenged the American Creed. Affirmative action spurred a legal debate that paralleled three basic ethical considerations of a broader debate in the society; utilitarianism, ethical theories of justice, and the ethical theories of rights. The population of working women has increased in the US. Laws offering protection from discrimination include but are not limited to The Civil Rights

Field trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Field trip - Essay Example In accordance with Jewish tradition, prayers should always occur in the entire community. Amidah, which is the third section of Shabbat service, forms the central point of Worship among Jews. During this section, the congregation normally engages in prayers and meditations. The word Amidah gives a description of prayers and the manner in which the Jews worship. Amidah has a small session for private prayers among its worshippers. Similar to any church service, the Shabbat also acknowledges rituals and their significance in worship. Consequently, Torah service forms the next section of Shabbat service. Torah service provides teachings on peace, justice, and truth in the society. In general, this section follows teachings of Moses as written in his five books. The last session of the Shabbat Service is concluding prayers where the whole congregation participates in recitation of Aleinu or Adoration (Abrams & Katherine 18). We chose Shabbat service as our field trip experience because of the perception that Jewish religion has unique philosophies and worship procedures. Majority of people in the society believe that Shabbat is different from other church services because of its restrictions and related philosophies. Consequently, attending the service would enable us to obtain philosophies and facts about the Shabbat Service. After attending the Shabbat Service, we were able to determine how philosophy influences the religion. According to the Jews, Shabbat Service must have five prayer sessions. All these sessions have different significance to the worshippers. For instance, Torah service teaches peace and justice in the community. In addition, the religion has a philosophy, which advocates for all members of the congregation to use the five holy books recommended by Moses to govern all rituals. Just like Christian services, the Shabbat service considers prayers as precious gifts from heaven. As a result, the Jewish considers Amidah as a special session of

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic Research Proposal

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic is Alcoholism - Research Proposal Example It is not only the media to blame for the radical directional change; the government has contributed to this course overwhelmingly by failing to enact stiffer laws to control alcohol consumption. By failing to launch massive anti-alcoholism campaigns, the government and the media have failed many families and individuals. The effect of alcoholism on families is immeasurable (Mezzasalma). Sander, when describing what became of their family when his father was enslaved by alcoholism says, â€Å""My brother became a rebel, my sister retreated to shyness†¦" (67). He further reiterates that what he considered â€Å"a private grief† was actually, â€Å"a public scourge† (138). As such, alcoholism qualifies to be a social problem that affects all the societal aspects, legal, economic, and political (Oshea 14). Quitting alcohol is a momentous task that requires everyone’s involvement and the government and the media cannot relent (Pittman 18). It is high time that all stakeholders should stand to be counted for doing what is right, regardless of the political implication, to fight alcoholism. Alcoholism is a monster that has destroyed many resourceful persons, broken many families, and cost lives and should be fought at all cost. Mezzasalma, Lorena. "Characteristics of Alcoholics Attending Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatmentà ¢ in Italy: A National Survey ." Oxford Journals | Medicine | Alcohol and Alcoholism. N.p., 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 3 May

Acquisition Strategy Essay Example for Free

Acquisition Strategy Essay In today’s market it is very important for company’s to remain competive in order to maintain an edge over its competitors. The days that a company can rely on its reputation to continue making profits are gone. Today, everyone is looking to save money by buying less expensive items like economy brands, considering that the diffrences between the two products are similar and the features that are not offered are of little value. This will make a consumer buy the less expensive item. Like consumers, companies are also looking to save money and maximize profit. One way of doing this is through acquisition strategies. Combining the operations of two companies is a very good option for companies that are looking to stregnthening the company’s competincies and competitiveness, this will ultimately open new market opportunities (Gamble/Thompson, p. 119). The benefit of this type of strategy, unlike alliances, they do not go far enough for the resources needed and a very important factor, ownership. In the following paragraphs, I will give two examples of two different companies in different industries and explain how they will stregnthen their market position through acquisiton, to include resources and competive capabilities. The first example I will use it Wells Fargo Co. results from the acquisition of Wachovia Corporation. During the economic crisis Wells Fargo Co. acquired Wachovia Corp in a bail out to keep the bank from going under. At one point Wachovia was Wells Fargo’s competitor. After the acquisiton it made Wells Fargo a banking giant absorbing its competion. Earnings from that acquisition have earned Wells Fargo Financial Co. a 21% earnings since the acquistion, reporting record profits. This acquistion has allowed them to gain market share, this was mostly created by winning new customers. Mortgage loans was the top earner and low rates and prices of homes falling to record lows has allowed the company to grow even in these tough economic times. Additionally, the acquisition of Wacovia Corp. moves Wells Fargo as the second largest bank, second only to Bank of America. The strategy has allowed them to acquire a larger share of the financial market. The second company I will discuss is DuPont Nutrition Health and Applied BioSciences acquisition of Danisco Corp. Once a long time partner of DuPont, is a very good and proven company, is a good fit because of their proven market science business and offers clear synergy for them. The acquisition will make them the clear leader in industrial biotechnology with inovations in global challenges in food production and fossil fuel. This effort will position the company ahead of all rivals addressing dramatic growth in human population in the years to come. Danisco is well established company that has research and application capabilities. This will create a more cost efficient operation of the combined companies. The applications do not need to be duplicated, meaning their buying power will increase, administrative functions do not need to be replicated, and will further create more cost savings by downsizing. This acquisition will also allow them to enter new product categories, for example 65% of Danisco’s revenue comes from specialty foods, product substitution items such as sweetners and enablers. This will allow them to enter renewable materials and addressing food needs. In conclusion, I have discussed Wells Fargo Co. , and how their acquisition of Wachovia Corp has allowed the company to gain a larger geographic coverage has helped it create a more cost efficient operation by allowing to cut overhead costs by elliminating duplicate processes. Second, DuPont Nutrition Health and Applied BioSciences acquisition of Danisco Corporation has allowed DuPont has made them the clear leader in industrial biotechnology with inovations in global challenges in food production and fossil fuel.

The Economic Reform of China Essay Example for Free

The Economic Reform of China Essay In the late 1970s, China initiated a full-scale economic reform in rural and urban parts of the country, because of the economic reform China has transformed itself from a centrally planned economy to an emerging market economy and at the same time its economy has achieved nearly a 9.5 percent average growth rate. The pace of China’s growth is not unique — Korea, Singapore and other economies in East Asia grew as fast in the 1970s and 1980s. What is unprecedented historically is its scale. The size of China’s population, market and geography, and the dynamism that flowed from economic reform and transformation are what define its impact on the rest of the world. Despite a still relatively low per capita income, the sheer size of the Chinese economy has made China a significant player in world production, consumption, trade and increasingly international finance and the environment. The historic decision on â€Å"reform and opening-up† made at the Third Plenum of the CCP Eleventh Party Congress on December 18-22, 1978, marked the beginning of China’s reform era. At the time, China had a clear desire to increase productivity and raise living standards by reforming its economic system and structure, but it did not have a clear objective of what the new system would be like. Furthermore, the reform did not have a well-designed strategy or policy measures. China’s economic reform was often distinguished from the market reform of the Soviet Union and many former socialist countries in Eastern Europe. First, unlike the case of the Soviet Union, China did not change its political system and was able to maintain political stability. Second, China’s reform process did not have a blueprint. Each step was taken after drawing the experience of the previous step. As Deng put it, the process was like a person walking across the river by feeling the rocks in each step. This characteristic was necessitated by the lack of knowledge of what kind of market economy was suitable for China on the part of the leaders. They had  to learn by experimentation. Secondly, experimentation helped convince the party members of the validity of the new institutions. The slogan â€Å"to build an economic system with Chinese characteristics† was introduced in the early 1980’s and remains in constant use in the early 2000’s. â€Å"Chinese characteristics† mean the results of experimentation that are shown to work for China. This slogan also implies that the Chinese leaders are pragmatic and not confined to a set of old Communist ideology. Recall Deng Xiaoping’s famous statement, â€Å"it does not matter whether a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice.† Pragmatism over ideology is an important trait of China’s reform process. China’s reform measures that resulted from experimentation include the â€Å"household responsibility system† in agriculture, autonomy and the †contract responsibility system† for state industrial enterprises, the free economic zones as experiments for foreign trade and investment policies, and the introduction of share-holding companies in Jiang Zemin’s report of September 1997 partly as a result of the successful experience of some small and medium sized state enterprises that was initiated by the individual enterprises themselves. One advantage of China’s economic condition over that of the Soviet Union at the early stage of reform was that the Chinese farmers knew how to farm as private farmers. Collective farming was introduced under the Commune System only in 1958, twenty years before the reform. The farmers still remembered how to farm and they also had some practice in 1963-1965 during the president of Liu Shaoqi who introduced some elements of private farming after the economic collapse of the Great Leap Forward Movement of 1958-62. On the other hand collective farming had been introduced in the 1930’s, sixty years before the reform of the Soviet economy in the early 1990’s. Russian farmers did not know how to farm as individual farmers. The large increase of agricultural productivity in China served as the basis for further economic growth and reform. In 1977, Deng Xiaoping made it clear that performance should be the main consideration in the economic and social advancement of individuals. In  other words, professionalism and results should count. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of academics and scientists for the future of the economic development and the international standing of China. He thought that this should be more widely recognized by the Chinese people. During 1978, Deng Xiaoping’s reform philosophy gained growing support in the CCP and its desirability was accepted in December 1978 at the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee. This session proved to be a turning point in the direction of China’s policies for its economic and social development. It was decided at this meeting that the system and methods of economic management in China would be transformed; economic co-operation with other countries would be expanded; special efforts would be made to adopt the world’s advanced technologies and equipment; and that scientific and educational work would be greatly strengthened to meet the needs of modernization. The importance of the four modernizations (modernizing agriculture, industry, national defense, science and technology) was emphasized. 2.0. Meaning of reform 2.1. Agriculture Beginning in 1978 several major institutional reforms have been undertaken. First is the adoption of the household responsibility system in agriculture. Collective farming under the Commune system introduced by Mao in 1958 in the Great Leap Forward Movement was being practiced. Farmers worked as a team consisting of some forty persons. A farmer could not get extra reward by working harder because all members of the team would share the additional output due to his additional labor. Chinese farmers deserved credit for initiating reform in agriculture. Some farmers realized that if they farmed separately the team could produce more in total and still delivered the same amount of output required by the procurement system for government distribution of agricultural products in the economy. The Commune system was changed as the team was reorganized by distributing its land to individual households to farm separately, each getting the additional reward for additional labor after delivering a fixed amount of  output to the team for delivery to the government procurement agencies. Such practice was introduced and spread in many areas of the country. In 1978, Deng recognized its beneficial effects and adopted it as a national policy and called it the â€Å"household responsibility system.† Agricultural output increased rapidly in China. The farmers became richer. The success of reform in agriculture served as the foundation of reform in other sectors not only by increasing the supply of food but also by changing the ideological thinking of Communist Party members in support of a market economy. 2.2. State-owned Enterprises Reform of Chinese state enterprises is an example of a gradual approach to economic reform through experimentation. The first was to give state enterprises some autonomy in production, marketing and investment decisions rather than simply carrying out the decisions under a system of central planning. The experiment began in late 1978 with six enterprises in Sichuan Province. By the end of June 1980, 6,600 industrial enterprises that were allowed to make such autonomous decisions produced about 45 percent of the total output of all state industrial enterprises. The second was to make them financially independent, allowing them to keep the earnings as their own profits after paying taxes to the state, rather than as revenue belonging to the government. The third was to introduce a responsibility system similar to the household responsibility system in agriculture, first to selected parts of the enterprise under the important reform Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in October 1984, and later to an enterprise in 1987. Under the responsibility system, a part of an enterprise was allowed to keep the remaining profit after surrendering a fixed amount to the enterprise controlling it. In 1987, further reform of the state enterprises was carried out under the â€Å"contract responsibility system.† After paying a fixed tax to the government having jurisdiction over it, each state enterprise was allowed to keep the remaining profit for distribution to its staff and workers and for capital investment. Within one year in 1987, almost all state enterprises were under the new â€Å"contract responsibility system.† The idea of such a system sounded appealing to the economic officials who designed it, as witnessed by the  author who participated at meetings with these officials. However, the incentives provided under the system turned out to be less impressive than expected. First, the so-called fixed levy to each enterprise was not really fixed but was subject to change depending on the profits of the enterprise. The tax was increased when the profits were higher than expected. This partly destroyed the incentives provided by a fixed levy, which would not interfere with the optimal marginal cost and benefit calculations of the enterprise. Secondly, the additional revenue was not put into good use. The managers could not receive sufficient compensation because a high salary to management was socially and ideologically unacceptable. When profits were high the workers received additional compensation in the form of durable goods such as color TV sets and refrigerators because money wage had to follow a fixed scale nationally. The additional reward was not dependent on additional effort. Third, investment policy might not be optimal in the sense that risk taking by a manager was not sufficiently compensated. Forth, the quality of the managers was poor in general because they were not trained under a free market system. Bureaucracy and personal connections determined the selection of manager to a considerable extent. Significant steps on state enterprise reform were taken in the late 1990’s as stated in the important report of Jiang Zemin to the Congress of the Communist Party in September 1997. China government was to give up ownership and control of small and medium sized state enterprises while keeping the control of large enterprises. Shares were issued for a small or medium enterprise, to be purchased by its managers and staff. The state would give up most of its shares. This would help an infusion of capital to the enterprise. In many instances, the incentives provided to the workers who share a part of the profits were significant. The large enterprises can be transformed to various forms depending on the circumstances, but most of these enterprises were to become shareholding companies of one kind or another, with the state controlling the majority shares. From my point of view, changing the form of ownership on paper alone could not and does not make the enterprise efficient. First, the management itself may not be improved. The lack of qualified managers of modern corporations in China cannot be resolved by such reform. Second, many managers were still selected  by personal connections under the Chinese bureaucratic system. One manager told the author that the new system did not change the supervision and authority his former bosses. These same people now became members of the board under the new system. Some managers also complained that the time spent on committee and board meetings increased under the new system. In some instances, the government was willing to sell the entire enterprise to a foreign investor, especially a person of Chinese decent living in Hong Kong or a South Eastern Asian country. There are examples of successful transformation of large state enterprises. 2.3. The Banking and Financial Sector When the planning system was being changed from â€Å"compulsory† planning to â€Å"guidance† planning as stipulated by the October 1984 Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party a macro-economic control mechanism was to be introduced which required a more modern banking system. Before economic reform, the People’s Bank was a mono-bank that had branches to accept deposits from the public. Its other functions were to issue currency and to extend loans to state enterprises according to the need specified and approved by the planning authority. It had no authority to decide on these loans. Commercial banks did not exist in the sense of being able to extend credits to enterprises according to the criterion of profitability. In 1983 the People’s Bank was nominally transformed into a central bank. Specialized banks, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China and the People’s Construction Bank of China, were established and given some autonomy in the extension of credits in the early 1980’s in the same way that state industrial enterprises were given autonomy to make production decisions. This led to the rapid increase in the supply of currency in 1984 by 50% and an inflation rate of 8.8% by the overall retail price index in 1985. Reforms of the banking system to serve a market economy (as the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party declared China’s economy to be a socialist market economy in October 1992) progressed gradually in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. In November 1993, the Third Plenum of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party decided to accelerate reform of the financial sector by giving more independence to the People’s Bank as a central bank and transforming the specialized banks to  commercial banks. Two significant dates are March 18, and May 10, 1995, when the People’s Congress passed respectively the Law on The People’s Bank of China and the Commercial Banking Law. Although there the provisions of these laws were not actually carried out in practice, the laws provide a blueprint for the banking system and serve as a convenient framework for us to understand the working of the system. Banking reform is one important example to demonstrate the rule that institutions cannot be changed by legislation alone. Besides the banking system, other financial institutions were changed. In 1981 the government formed the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) to attract foreign capital. Similar investment trusts under the sponsorship of provincial governments followed. Stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen were established in the early 1990s. As pensions were provided under a new social security system, pension funds became an important source for savings and investment. The domestic insurance business, after being suspended for over twenty years, was reopened. Foreign insurance companies have been allowed to operate in China. The financial sector can be expected to expand further as foreign companies enter under the provisions of the WTO. 2.4. Education system Concerning the education system, while China had a combination of private and public schools at all levels before 1949, the education system was drastically changed in the early 1950’s. All schools were brought under government control, with private schools and universities taken over by public educational organizations. Higher education was modeled after the Soviet education system. Universities were broken up into colleges specializing in technical training. The special technical schools were administered by the government units requiring the services of their graduates. The operation of the education system was seriously interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, with many colleges and universities closed and school enrollment drastically reduced. Ever since economic reform started China’s educational system quickly returned to normal and began to improve. Universities were opened after the interruptions of the Cultural Revolution. Students were given opportunities to take examinations to enter universities and graduate schools. Intellectuals who had been criticized and mistreated were restored to their previous status and given due respect. People were eager to learn. Students seized upon their educational opportunities and studied diligently. The population as a whole wanted to absorb new ideas and knowledge from the outside world since they had been deprived of such knowledge when China was closed to the outside world. Foreign scholars and professionals of all kinds were invited to China to lecture, in schedules so full that even enthusiastic lecturers became exhausted. The Ministry of Education and the State Education Commission from 1985 to 1998, sponsored programs to cooperate with foreign educational institutions to improve education in China. At the same time individual universities were given the freedom to invite foreign scholars to lecture and they did so effectively. Students were sent abroad to study, and were permitted to go abroad by their own initiatives. Modern textbooks were adopted in university courses. Efforts were made to translate modern texts into Chinese and to write new texts in Chinese. As time went on, the skill in modern languages especially English improved rapidly and texts in English began to be adopted. 3.0. Conclusion In summary economic reform consisted of changes in agriculture system, reform of state enterprises, reform of banking and financial sector, and education system, which the changes taking place step by step depending on the results of and experience gained in previous steps. Many shortcomings of the China’s economic reform remain, but rapid economic growth continues. China’s economic development cannot be understood without taking into account its historical, political and cultural background. Based on the above discussion, we may learn seven major lessons from Chinese economic reforms. First, the most important principle for a successful transition from a planned economy to a market economy is pragmatism. Second, the incremental approach generates the momentum from earlier reform success and thus provides a political basis for the further reforms. Third, successful reforms rely on political support, which in turn depend on delivering tangible benefits to a large majority of the population. In addition, there are high international hopes that China will continue to be an engine  contributing to global economic growth for some time to come and signs of economic recovery in China have strengthened global economic confidence in recovery from the current economic recession.

International Studies Essays World Population

International Studies Essays World Population World Population One of the most influential writers on the topic of balance of population and resources was Thomas Malthus. Malthus believed that throughout history a segment of every human population seemed doomed to poverty. He explains in his An Essay on the Principle of Population, that population growth generally preceded expansion of the populations resources, in particular the primary resource of food because population, if unchecked, increases at a geometric rate (i.e. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.), whereas the food-supply grows at an arithmetic rate (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc.). Fortunately, most of Malthuss predictions have been proven wrong by the worlds ingenuity (Wikipedia, 2008). Historical World Population When viewed against human history, population growth is a fairly recent phenomenon (see Figure 1). Prior to 1 AD, the worlds population growth was very slow with most estimates showing population in 1 AD around 300 million. From 1 AD it took about 1600 years for the worlds population to double to 600 million. By 1750, estimates show the population had grown to about 800 million people. In 1800 the estimated population grew to 1 billion people resulting in a doubling rate of approximately 200 years. Since 1750, the worlds population has grown at an unprecedented rate. In 1900 the worlds population estimate was 1.7 billion people, nearly doubling the population just 100 years earlier (Raleigh, 1999). Prior to 1750 high birth rates were tempered by relatively high death rates with occasional catastrophic death rates from war, famines, and infectious diseases. Infectious diseases such as bubonic plague and tuberculosis took a serious toll on Europes population between the 6th and 14th centuries. When the bubonic plague struck England in 1348, the countries population dropped 20 percent in just three years. During this period Englands life expectancy of over 30 years dropped to just 18 years. Population growth in Europe was also controlled through self imposed social restrictions on procreation as a response to the availability of economic resources (Raleigh, 1999). Europe finally broke the demographic stalemate in the mid 18th century when they ended the near equilibrium birth and death rates. The disappearance of some of the great killer diseases resulted in greater longevity and thus higher populations. Improved health measures, medical advances, improved sanitation, personal hygiene, and living standards throughout the 9th century brought even greater longevity. Improved longevity was countered by a desire for smaller families and the growing use of abortion and contraception (Raleigh, 1999). Although the demographic transition to what is typical in developed countries (long-living family with limited number of children) took nearly two centuries, the transition in developing countries has occurred over just the last 50 years as advanced public health and prevention technologies have been shared world-wide. Although fertility declines have occurred in developing countries they have been slower than the population gains through greater longevity, resulting in tremendous population growth over the past two centuries. By 1900 the worlds population took 65 years to double; by 1930 the doubling rate was 45 years; and by 1960, the doubling rate was 40 years. In the year 2000, there were an estimated 6 billion people on the earth, the last 50 years of which saw more population added to the earth than in the whole known history of the world to that point (Raleigh, 1999). Current World Population According to the United Nations, the worlds population growth peaked in the 1980s with small declines in growth occurring throughout the 1990s. But even with those declines, the world adds approximately 78 million people to the population every year. Until the 1970s the fertility rate was fairly constant at 5 births per woman. The fertility rate has fallen drastically since then with the current fertility rate of approximately 3 births per woman. Although all high fertility countries fertility rates are declining they still vary from 1.2 births per woman in some European countries to over 6 for some African women (United Nations, 2007). Globally, 132 million babies are born each year and 52 million people die, approximately 20 percent of which are ages 5 and younger. According to the World Health Organization, about one-third of deaths are due to infectious and parasitic diseases, one-third are due to circulatory diseases, and 12% are due to cancer (Raleigh, 1999). Projected World Growth Although fertility rates have declined over prior decades, the high fertility rates of the past have resulted in a large population that has entered the reproductive years of their lives. Because of this large population, the number of births world-wide is not expected to decline until approximately 2025 resulting in unavoidable growth throughout the next 50 years. The future fertility rate will then determine the worlds population growth (Raleigh, 1999). There are five main sources of projected world population growth. The United Nations Population Division produces the most widely used compilation of current and past estimates of population size, age structure, and birth and death rates. The United States Census Bureau produces its own baseline data, although its estimates are not completely independent from those of the UN. A third source, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) uses baseline data on population size, total fertility rates, and life expectancies from the Population Reference Bureau. The fourth source, the Population Reference Bureau bases its estimates on the work of the UN, and independent consideration of other sources including official country statistics, the Council of Europe, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The fifth source is the World Bank, whose projections are generally used for planning and managing projects. Even though each of these organizations uses slightly different methodologie s, makes different assumptions about future demographic trends, and begins with slightly different estimates of current population size their population projections fall within a relatively small band for the next 50 years (see Figure  2) (Population Reference Bureau, 2001) Figure 3 shows a summary of global population projections from three of the major sources. The middle or most likely scenarios from the UN, IIASA, and the U.S. Census Bureau are similar that they differ by about 10% in 2050 and 9% in 2100. The UN projects the least amount of growth, reaching approximately 8.9 billion in 2050. IIASA projects the most growth, reaching approximately 9.9 billion in the same year. The USCB projects a population of approximately 9.3 billion in 2050. The 2100 population projections follow a similar pattern with IIASA projecting a global population declining 10.4 billion in 2100 after peaking in 2080. The UN projects a smaller population of approximately 9.5 billion in 2100, but one that is still growing slowly (ONeill, 2001). It is obvious from looking at Figure 3 that each of these organizations uses different assumptions in their scenarios. Primary assumptions that are used in each of these organizations projections include birth rate, death rate, and demographic transition (migration) scenarios. In developing countries, the primary driver of the projections is the fertility or birth rate. Since fertility rates are currently higher in developing countries than they are in developed countries a big decline in fertility rates in developing countries can have a drastic impact on the resulting population estimate. Migration is a primary driver in scenarios with more developed countries since birth and death rates nearly cancel each other out (ONeill, 2001). Projections of global population growth differ less between the different institutions than do projections at the country level. Differences in assumptions and results at the country and region level often cancel each other when aggregated to global levels. In some cases, agreement in projections of population size masks large differences in underlying assumptions with offsetting effects, such as a scenario in a region with high fertility rate and high death rate and a competing scenario with a low fertility rate and a low death rate (ONeill, 2001). One of the major diseases that will likely impact population growth models over the next several decades is HIV/AIDS. Although the disease isnt of the same scale as some of the pre-industrial age diseases, it is having a huge impact on mortality in some regions of the world. Of the 52 million deaths that occur each year, approximately 2.1 million are from AIDS. USAIDS estimates that 33.2 million people with HIV and 2.5 million new cases every year. Since the disease impacts people in the prime of their reproductive life and has such a large impact in some regions of the world most models attempt to account for this disease (UNAIDS, 2007). Projected Demographics One of the biggest results of the population growth is simply that there will be a larger population that needs a place to live and food to eat. Another result is the continued trend toward increasing urbanization. The UN projects that nearly all of the population growth will occur in urban areas with the number of urban dwellers expecting to pass rural dwellers in 2008. In the next couple of decades the number of rural dwellers is expecting to start declining (United Nations, 2007). There will also be a higher concentration of people in less developed countries. Nearly half of the babies born into the world are born in only six countries India (22%), China (11%), Pakistan (4%), Nigeria (4%), Indonesia (4%) and Bangladesh (3%) (Chamie, 2005). By 2050, the populations of over 50 countries are expected to decline, including some well developed countries. The three largest countries projected to loose people (Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Japan) are expected to decline by a combined 67 million people (Chamie, 2005). It is projected that by 2050, every major region of the world, except Africa, will be at or below replacement fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman. Today, 65 countries, accounting for 43% of world population, have fertility rates at or below the replacement level. As a result, many countries are concerned about population decline and ageing, as well as the social, economic and cultural consequences of very low fertility (Chamie, 2005). With the exception of sub-Saharan Africa mortality rates and longevity are expected to continue to increase with global life expectancy for those born in 2050 to be about 76 years (Chamie, 2005). As people live longer the population will include more people over the age of 65. It is estimated that by 2050 the percentage of the population over will 65 will double from the present 7 percent to about 15 percent. Population ageing raises serious questions about the financial viability of pension and health care systems for the elderly (Chamie, 2005). The more developed countries will continue to be net receivers of international immigrants with an estimated 2 million immigrants per year for the next 50 years. This brain drain of the most educated people in the less developed countries will increase the challenges of developmental efforts in the less developed countries (Chamie, 2005). Conclusion As the changing world population continues to increase so will the demand for food. As less developed countries become more developed and peoples incomes increase either in their country of birth or the country they have migrated to they will demand more food and more calories forcing our worlds resources to be spread among an additional 2 to 3 billion people. As this occurs, the topic of food security will once again be at the forefront of many conversations. References Chamie, J. 2005. 21st century demographics: highs and lows. The globalist, Jul 14, 2005. [Online]. Available at http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=4629 ONeill, B.C, D. Balk, M. Brickman, and M. Ezra. 2001. A guide to global population projections. Demographic research, Vol. 4. Art. 8. [Online]. Available at http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol4/8/. Population Reference Bureau. 2001. Understanding and using population projections. [Online]. Available at http://www.prb.org/pdf/UnderStndPopProj_Eng.pdf. Raleigh, V.S. 1999. Trends in world population: how will the millennium compare with the past? Human reproduction update 1999, Vol. 5, No.5p. 500-505. [Online]. Available at http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/5/5/500.pdf. UNAIDS. 2007. Aids epidemic update: December 2007. New York. [Online]. Available at http://data.unaids.org/pub/EPISlides/2007/2007_epiupdate_en.pdf United Nations. 2007. World population prospects: The 2006 revision. United Nations Secretariat, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, New York. [Online]. Available at http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2006/English.pdf Wikipedia contributors. 2008. Thomas Malthus, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [Online]. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Malthusoldid=194307261.