[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 17, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15259-S15260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WORLD POPULATION AWARENESS WEEK

 Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, every year the United States sends 
billions of dollars overseas for foreign aid and military operations 
trying to bring peace and prosperity to troubled regions around the 
world. Our help often comes too late and seldom alleviates the root of 
the dilemma.
  Overcrowding and rapid population growth exacerbates many causes of 
conflict around the world, like ethnic tensions, economic disparity, 
and struggle over scarce resources. The population of our planet has 
ballooned rapidly from 2 billion in 1935 to almost 6 billion today, and 
will reach 8 billion by 2025. Ninety percent of this growth will occur 
in the most troubled regions of the Third World, increasing their 
already difficult tasks of peace and economic development.
  Stable population growth could help these regions achieve their goals 
by improving economic conditions, lessening the stress on scarce 
resources, raising the quality of life, and facilitating economic 
development. Increasing the awareness of population growth focuses the 
efforts of our Government, and governments around the world, on finding 
solutions to this problem.
  To focus attention on population expansion, the State of Wisconsin 
has declared October 22-28 World Population Awareness Week. I hope 
Wisconsin's effort to increase sensitivity on this issue will be joined 
by other State and local governments. World Population Awareness Week 
is the first step toward stable population growth and a 

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better and more peaceful life for everyone on the planet.

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