Sustainability

Elon Musk says population collapse ‘potentially the greatest risk to the future of civilization’

by Joseph Guzman | July 28, 2021 | Jul. 28, 2021

Story at a glance

  • SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared an article on Twitter about slowing population growth.
  • “Population collapse is potentially the greatest risk to the future of civilization,” Musk tweeted.
  • The Wall Street Journal reported the U.S. population grew just 0.35 percent for the year ending July 1, 2020, the lowest ever documented.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is warning his followers against the threat of population collapse to humanity’s future. 

Musk on Monday shared an article on Twitter from The Wall Street Journal detailing how the yearslong decline in the U.S. birth rate and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused population growth to grind to a halt. 

More people died than were born in half of all states last year, The Wall Street Journal reported,  and early estimates show the U.S. population grew just 0.35 percent in the year ending July 1, 2020 — the lowest ever documented, according to the outlet. 

Meanwhile, population growth this year is expected to remain flat. The Journal reported an estimated 300,000 fewer births in the U.S. this year as people are hesitant to have children amid the economic uncertainty associated with the pandemic. 

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“Population collapse is potentially the greatest risk to the future of civilization,” Musk tweeted along with the Journal report. 

The billionaire, who is aiming to one day colonize Mars, has previously spoken out about the issue. 

“Population collapse is a much bigger problem than people realize and that’s just for Earth. Mars has a great need for people, seeing as population is currently zero,” he replied to a tweet earlier this month.

 

“Humans are the custodians of other life on Earth. Let us bring life to Mars,” he tweeted. 

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