The human population surpassed the six billion mark in 1999. As resources get spread thinner, how will the impoverished Third World survive, and how long until their urgent plight devastates Western society? This program addresses these questions while providing case studies of population and family planning initiatives in Third World countries.

As most couples in China are limited to having only one child, the bias toward boys leaves many girl babies aborted or abandoned. Lisa Ling travels to China with some of the many American families who are adopting Chinese baby girls. In China, she examines the social pressures to have male children and the effects of the resulting gender imbalance.

Considers the global consequences of continued population growth and the various options for dealing with its impact on the environment and natural resources.