Pro-Life Corner

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 11, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A slate of pro-life groups are set to mark the release of a new documentary that focuses on the underpopulation crisis around the world. European nations are seeing births at below replacement rate, abortion has decimated the population of Russia and nations like Japan may be unable to support an aging population.
Those are some of the issues profiled in "Demographic Winter: the decline of the human family."....
Organizations including the Heritage Foundation, Family Research Council, World Congress of Families, and the Latin American Alliance for the Family are unveiling the film tomorrow.
In a statement sent to LifeNews.com, they say Demographic Winter highlights the "global phenomenon" of the "catastrophic consequences of rapidly falling birthrates."
"Worldwide, birthrates have declined by 50% in the past half-century," the groups say. "There are now 59 nations, with 44% of the world's population, with below replacement birthrates."

A birthrate of 2.1 is needed to replace current population, but the European Union has a birthrate of just 1.3. By 2030, the group's estimate, Europe is expected to have a shortfall of 20 million workers.
Meanwhile, in Russia, where abortion has been used for decades as a method of birth control, the nation is expected to lose one- third of its current population by 2050.

"In nations with declining populations, who will operate the factories and farms?" the groups said. "Who will guard the frontiers? With a graying population (a declining birthrate combined with growing longevity), who will support pension systems and otherwise care for the elderly?"