Helping to End Oppressive Child Labor in the US – The Photography of Lewis Hine

The 1900 United States Census showed the population of America growing by over 20% since the previous census ten years before. Good news for a still expanding, young country. Yet there was another astonishing figure which appalled many. One in six children aged between five and ten were recorded as being in gainful employment.

May 1910: Bundle boy. St. Louis, Missouri.

Yet there was worse. This number, shocking in itself, represented a massive increase of 50% over a twenty year period in the number of children in this age group who worked, often in appalling conditions. America’s children were working in greater numbers than ever before - 1,752,187 of them all told between the ages of five and ten. With the country seemingly going backwards in its treatment of its children from poorer backgrounds, a group of people decided that something had to be done.

Population Growth - Infographic

Population growth is the elephant in the room.  In virtually all globally important meetings about the environment the human population is not mentioned.  However, the bald facts - as presented here by Kristy Graybill - are more than a little frightening.

The increase in population from now to 2050 will equal the entire world population in 1950.  While the birth rates of developed nations is slowing their populations continue to consume a disproportionate amount of the planet's resources.  If our standards of living are to be maintained or improved then this will mean the destruction of much of what remains of the earth's pristine habitats.  No one wants that, but still population is hardly ever mentioned by politicians.

The solution is fairly simple if unpalatable.  The developing world must curb its almost exponential population growth and in return those lucky enough to live in the developed world must learn to curb their excesses.  It is as simple as that - but do we have the will to make it happen?