Health Improvement Super-Trend

The super trend regarding health improvements, like every new development, technological improvement or futuristic trend, has both positive and negative aspects. While each of us would see that an increase in the health and subsequent longevity is a good thing at a personal level, this fact has directly driven two other super trends (Economic growth and Environmental decline): Each of which has negative consequences. It could be further argued that health improvements have actually driven every super trend identified. However technological and health improvements are, metaphorically speaking a circular reference; similar to the "which came first, the chicken or the egg"? Regardless, health improvements and the fact that we are now living longer, has driven an explosion in the population. This population explosion means that there are more consumers of goods and services. More people drive a greater consumption of resources which in-turn create significant economic growth. This increase in the consumption of resources generate negative impacts in the environment that ultimately cause its decline.
There have been some attempts to address the impacts of increasing longevity. China's official "Family planning policy" or the "one-child policy", was an attempt to stem the impacts of over population and it's impacts on a society. Programs of this type are rare as most societies see this as a direct impact on personal freedom and liberties and a very draconian and autocratic control over people's lives. However, few other options exist to address the potential impacts of extreme population increases. Some have suggested that the initial anemic response by western countries to the AIDs epidemic in African countries was a covert response to curbing the increase in global populations. While an interesting hypothesis, I believe that the slow response was more of an economic decision that impacted the humanitarian needs of third world populations. Unfortunately, economic decisions typically are at odds with humanitarian ones.
As with all trends that directly affect the life of a human being, only socialistic changes tend to modify the respective impacts. Two significant social changes that may slowly address the trend of health improvements are the changing views on abortion and the increasing age people are having children.
While Roe versus Wade legalized abortion in 1973, people still saw abortion as socially unacceptable with a social stigma. This view has been evolving with many now seeing abortion as an acceptable approach to unwanted pregnancy. In fact, cultural aspects of varying countries have also added a unique view to this by providing a method for gender selection. Since many cultures view certain genders, mostly male, as preferred over females, abortion provides a method to select the gender of off-spring. This of course will create impacts on population as fewer females will impact the ability of a species to reproduce. This of course may be off-set by the trend of increasing mobility.
The second social view involves increasing parental ages. As people live longer, many are now postponing when they have children. In previous generations, people, mostly women, had to choose between a career and a family. It was believed that the choice was simply one or the other and that both could not be achieved within a single lifetime. However, with the increase in health, longevity and lengths of fertility, many now believe that they can have the best of both worlds by focusing on a career earlier in their lives and later, using the economic benefits of a successful career to raise a family. This has the consequence of delaying or slowing the rate of population increase as a result of increased health and longevity.
In conclusion, I believe that only through various forms of social engineering can the impacts of these super trends be adequately addressed.
ReferenceCornish, E (2004). Futuring:The Exploration of the Future, World Future Society, Maryland, United States.