摘要

It took all of human history until 1800 for the world's population to reach its first billion. Now we add a new billion nearly every dozen years. Over the next half century, 98 percent of that growth will take place in our planet's poorest regions. And as the global total swells to nearly 9 billion by 2050, the social and environmental strains will be enormous. Through vivid personal stories, The People Paradox reveals many startling trends. In Japan, Europe and Russia, birth rates are shrinking and the population is aging. But in parts of India and Africa, more than half of the still growing population is under 25. The surprising conclusion: world population is now careening in two dramatically different directions. The second hour, China Revs Up, is an insider's look at China's booming economy and its growing impact on the environment. What will happen as China follows America's affluent lifestyle and begins to rival the U.S. as the world's biggest polluter? In this groundbreaking, worldwide investigation of humanity's future, NOVA shows how decisions made now will change the fate of everyone over the next fifty years.