It took almost all of human history (until 1804) for the Earth's human population to reach one billion. But more recently, during just twelve years, humans increased their numbers by one billion from 1987 to the present. These and other statistics are of supreme interest to scientists and others, as we attempt to predict environmental conditions and biological responses to future population growth. This week, October 12th, 1999 was declared "The Day of Six Billion," based on The United Nations's estimates of human population growth. Although the true expectancy date for the Earth's six billionth human being is (of course) unknown, this symbolic date serves as a focal point for issues associated with the world's human population -- and the environmental impacts. To that end, this week's In The News focuses on human population growth, from the basic to the sophisticated. The ten resources listed above provide background information, summary statistics, future projections, and a plethora of informative resources related to human population growth and the resulting influences on the environment.