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The Boston Globe

Opinion

Boston.com

Opinion

7 billion reasons for hope

By Edward L. Glaeser

 |   

  November 04, 2011

There are now 7 billion people on the planet, according to the United Nations, and this is much more of a blessing than a curse. While more people means more mouths to feed, it also means more minds to solve humanity’s problems. If the world’s economy becomes more integrated, and if our policies do more to limit the collateral damage that we do, the promise of more population will dramatically overwhelm the risks.

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