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enviromental problems
world overpopulation David Pimentel
effect or results of overpopulation
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Overpopulation is becoming a pressing issue in the world we live in today. According to the report World Population to 2300 done by the United Nations, the human population grew from roughly 2.5 to 6.1 billion from 1950 to 2000. The report projects that the human population will grow to over ten billion by 2050 (DESA, 5). The size of our large, and growing, population is putting stress on our planet's finite resources.
The amount of available fresh water is declining and is being made worse with a growing population. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) states in their study Atlas of population & environment that all continents are experiencing declines in water tables. The AAAS estimate that by the year 2025 forty-eight countries and thirty-five percent of the world population will have water shortages. This issue of water shortages becomes even more severe with the deterioration of the quality of water caused by industrial waste and sewage pollution (AAAS, 51).
A growing population also puts a strain on food supply. A 2001 World Population Monitoring report by the United Nations states that 790 million people in less-developed nations, 8 million in industrialized nations, and 26 million in countries that are in economic transition are suffering from malnutrition (World Population Monitoring, 16). The report goes on to state that population growth is the main reason for driving up the demand of agriculture (World Population Monitoring, 38). This demand is also causing issues for marine fishers.
Fish provided about six percent of humans total diet in 1996 which was roughly fifteen percent of all animal protein. From the 1950s to 1960s marine fisheries throughout the world increased their production b...
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Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division (DESA). World Population Monitoring. New York: United Nations, 2001. Print.
Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division (DESA). World Population to 2300. New York: United Nations, 2004. Print.
Despommier, Dickson. The Vertical Farm: Reducing the Impact of Agriculture on Ecosystem Functions and Services. N.d. Essay. Columbia University, New York.
Finer LB and Zolna MR, Unintended pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006, Contraception, 2011.
Gold, Rachel et al., Next Steps for America’s Family Planning Program: Leveraging the Potential of Medicaid and Title X in an Evolving Health Care System, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2009.
WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
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...nited Nations. United Nations Populations Information Network (POPIN). Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Revision of the World Population Estimates and Projections.
The world’s population is rising rapidly from seven billion to the estimated nine billion in 2050 (Ellis, Overpopulation is Not the Problem). Every human being adds stress to the Earth’s resources. Numerous places like Africa and China maintain a copious amount starvation and poverty. There are days when people go without food, water, or shelter. There is even such happening in the United States. In such places, it is difficult to find contraception, or birth control, which leads to unplanned pregnancies. These situations are rooted down to overpopulation, which is when there are too many humans. However, there is a multitude of ways to reverse such negative effects. Population control is a necessary act that will benefit the world through sparing natural resources, decreasing famine, and controlling unplanned pregnancies. A worldwide effort would have to take effect in order for a successful future.
3. Chandra A; Martinez GM, Mosher WD, Abma JC, Jones J (November 2005). Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S.Women: Data From the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Hyattsville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services. pp. 17, 90. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
The human population has increased by 4.5 billion since the last sixty years (Engelman 1), this tremendous growth in the human population has startled numerous individuals. As a matter of fact, the biosphere’s population of humans is expected to grow additional, resulting in a total of nine billion by 2050 (Pearce 1). Some individuals may see this as a concern for the planet, whereas others assume that there are other more imperative hitches that humans should deal with. Although Erle C. Ellis agrees that overpopulation is not a problem for this planet, conversely, Fred Pearce and Joel Kotkin argue that there are other more vital problems to mend; unlike Ellis, Robert Engelman disagrees, proclaiming overpopulation
Overpopulation has become a drastic issue, for no one knows how many people the earth
The major problem of the growing population is the question of balancing population and land area. Land area is not entirely fixed but does not vary much compared to the time scale. (UN, 2004) According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2004), 99% of the expected increment in world population will occur in less developed regions, and as less developed areas have less access to technology, food security will be further diminished. (Monsanto, 2014).
The world as we know it is slowly being depleted of its natural resources. Habitats are being destroyed, and wildlife animals are facing extinction, these are just a few of the effects of over population. Over population not only affects nature and the planet but the human way of life. Imagine a world where the water is polluted, the soil produces no crop and the air is so toxic that we can’t breathe; this is where the world is heading. Due to the fast growth of people, humanity itself faces great danger. There are solutions to over population such as Family planning and sexual education.
The past many decades have revealed a dramatically large increase in the global population. For example, the population increased from about 2.5 billion in 1950 to over 7.3 billion in 2015. This huge increase in population resulted in a need for many changes to be made in society. Global population growth is leading to deep changes in the demographics, economies, ecology, health, and governments of the world.
The world population is growing at an alarming rate. According to the United Nations, the world population is projected to exceed nine point seven billion people by the year 2050 with an estimated six countries to surpass
Overpopulation remains the biggest and toughest problem that needs to be solved because of the future consequence that it may produce such as lack of resources to feed the people. Today’s population rise could be traced from as early as the stone ages to as late as the industrialization era (Penfound, 1968). The population before Jesus Christ took 40,000 years to double with a 2% growth rate. In 1850, the human population was at one billion people and then rose to two billion just eighty years later in 1930. Three decades later in 1960, it reached three billion, and in 1975 it ballooned into four billion people (Howard, 1969). Paul R. Ehrlich, author of the book, “The population bomb” said in 1992 that the earth will be facing “the need to support at least twice its present population of humans whether the earth’s life support systems’ uncertainty of sustainability” (Daily and Ehrlich, 1992). He also projected that in 2025, the population of Earth will be at 8.5 billion, and eventually level off to 11.6 billion in 2150, based on “positive assumptions of contin...
“If we do not voluntarily bring population growth under control in the next one or two decades, the nature will do it for us in the most brutal way, whether we like it or not.” - Henry W. Kendall. This quote is just a small factor of what overpopulation around the world is doing. Each and every single day more and more people are born into this world, and the population increases rapidly every second. For example, the population right now in the United States is approximately 325 million people. The population in India today is about 1.25 billion people. The country with the largest population in the world right now is currently India, with 1.35 billion people, and China is not that far behind. With overpopulation in the world, there are less natural resources around the world, because all of the farmland is being taken up by new housing, buildings, and factories. Another problem it causes is air pollution. With all the factories being built, so many
Experts worldwide are warning that the current global population has exceeded Earth’s carrying capacity, and that current population growth trends are already leading to overpopulation. According to these experts, the effects of overpopulation could exacerbate poverty, unemployment, urban sprawl and lead to serious food and water shortages. As well as stating his position, this author will briefly explore these claims.
Overpopulation is going to continue to be a growing problem all over the world unless we come together and help each other out. This is a difficult task but it can be dealt with. This is the most important environmental issue because it leads to many others. It leads to loss of species, shortage of land, lack of resources, deforestation, health issues, pollution, and famine. Overpopulation is a growing problem we can stop. The only way this is going to be stopped is by humans taking action and trying to help each other.
According to the population explosion theory, after the start of the Industrial Revolution, the rate of population growth began to increase at an alarming speed. By the end of the century, the world's population was estimated at just under 1 billion. At the turn of the 20th century, the world's population was about 1.6 billion. By 1940, this figure had increased to 2.3 billion. Overpopulation issue has drawn a lot of c...