Earth has about six and a half billion inhabitants, who are taking a severe toll on the planet, if by nothing more than sheer number. Many of the more modern nations have populations that are feeling the effects of improved quality of life, and their populations are stabilizing or even declining. However, nations that are not quite so modern have yet to experience this change in demographics. Populations are still rising, often very rapidly. One of these nations is China. That is not to say that China is not making an effort to slow the rise of their population, however.