The Environmental Issue of Overpopulation Essay Example

The Environmental Issue of Overpopulation Essay Example The Environmental Issue of Overpopulation Paper The Environmental Issue of Overpopulation Paper According to the Environmental Protection Agency, overpopulation occurs hen a populations density exceeds the capacity of the environment to supply the health requirements of an individual. In other words, overpopulation happens when the amount of individuals exceeds the amount of resources the individuals require in order to satisfy their most basic needs. Overpopulation has become an issue because our earth can only provide so much for the sustained of every human life. In the past, more industrialized and populated countries have been main contributors to the pollution and plundering of the Earth. The united Nations reports that population increases have slowed and even stopped in places such as North America, Japan, and Europe. Still, the growth in population of places such as sub-Sahara Africa and south and western Asia has been a significant factor in the increase of the worlds population. Industrialized countries in the past have done their share of plundering and polluting. But today most such problems occur in developing countries commonly called the Third World, which also happen to be the areas of greatest population growth (Nat Ego). The global population rises at the rate of 78 million people per year. A problem within the problem of overpopulation is the fact that the fastest growing countries are the least able to afford their large populations. Africans population has tripled since 1 960 and continues to grow the fastest. Europe had twice as many people as Africa in 1960. By 2050 experts estimate there will be three times as many Africans as Europeans (Nat Ego). The idea of more people may not seem like a big deal, but it is a huge deal when everyones most basic needs cannot be met because there are too many people. The tied Nations believes that as the 21 SST century approaches, ore than a billion people will lack their most basic needs. Nearly three-fifths of the 4. 8 people in developing countries lack sanitation and other needs as it is. In 1 798, British economist Thomas Malthusian proposed the theory that population growth would surpass that ability to produce food, and this, he said, would lead to war, famine, and disease (Nat Ego). Pollution, exploitation of natural resources, and deforestation are just a few of the effects of overpopulation. Another negative aspect of overpopulation is the issue of waste management. More people means more waste, and more waste means hat a serious innovation in waste management must occur. Otherwise the poor management of waste will lead to massive disease outbreaks. Besides this, more waste also means more pollution. Every year the United Nations observes a World Population Day. On this day there is great fanfare, the government officials issues statements regarding depopulation programs, and the media has a field day with the talk of depopulation methods. Many people are apprehensive in regards to the subject of overpopulation and some blame overpopulation as the real cause for poverty and underdevelopment. However, there are those that dont view the subject as a threat and that the facts should be thoroughly reviewed before making such claims. Doug Allen, dean Of the school Of Architecture at Georgia Institute Of Technology, believes that overpopulation isnt a serious concern seeing as how architects and urban design experts dont even consider the theory when they build their models. He also goes on to cite the falling birthrates in urban populations such as Italy as further proof. Many researchers have claimed that the problem is not too many people and that contrary to popular belief, oral population growth is actually declining. According to UN figures, the 79 countries that comprise 40 percent of the worlds population now have fertility rates too low to prevent population decline. According to Dry. Strolled of SST. Josephs College in Renewals, Indiana, by meaningful measure the world is actually becoming relatively less populated (Jan). Despite the belief that the world is not becoming overpopulated, the worlds population has been increasing since the eighteenth century. Population has risen six-fold in the past 200 years and this has been made possible by explosions in productivity, resources food, information, communications, science, and medicine. Supposedly, the six-fold increase is thus dwarfed by the eighty-fold in world output during the same 200-year period. The current overpopulation hysteria began in the sixties with Paul Earlier who wrote the book The Population Bomb and frightened millions with prophesies of starvation, death, and destruction (Jan). Earlier predicted increases in famine, dwindling and rising expenses of natural resources, piles of waste, and environmental destruction, all of which are occurring as we speak. According o the U. S. Census Bureaus International Data Base, by the year 2050, India will replace China as the worlds most populated country (Hovel). This will happen as a result Of each countrys rapid population growth rate. If India and China continue to grow at their current rates, their countries will become overpopulated and their resources will become jeopardized. The president of the Population Institute, Lawrence Smith, believes that the worst possible result of overpopulation would be the admonishment of fresh, clean water (Hovel). I completely agree with this because obviously no living organism an be so without water. Fresh water is a valuable and diminishing resource. Two percent of the earths water is fresh and 1. Percent is frozen in polar ice caps and glaciers. A huge issue we will have in the near future is how the increasing population will share less than half percent of the earths usable freshwater. With that said, uranium will also become a valuable and diminishing resource because the nuclear power generated by uranium is used to run seawater desalination plants (Mills). One of the biggest issues with the grow ing population rate is that it means there will be many more mouths to feed. As of right now, we do not have enough food to do that, so we will need to grow more. To grow more food, we will need to yield to arable lands and find more fresh water, and we will also need more nuclear energy (uranium). Potash will also become a valuable and diminishing resource because it is one of the microinstructions essential for plants to grow and thrive. Potash is a major source Of potassium, which is found in every plant cell. The increase use of plant nutrients will be most effective in increasing crop yields in the face of an increasing global population and water shortages (Mills). In conclusion, overpopulation has a number of effects and will cause a myriad of chain effects. Scientists, economists, and investors alike all see vital issues aroused by the growth in our population. It is a serious matter because it will lead to the exhaustion of our already diminishing natural resources as well as disease outbreaks and even more pollution. Technology has struggled to keep up with and tend to the problem of overpopulation, yet the challenge to find more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to preserve the earth and feed the world still remains. Our natural resources must be reserved and seed efficiently.