Overpopulation
Introduction
Overpopulation can be defined as the condition where the human population exceeds the carrying capacities of the earth. Overpopulation causes environmental deterioration, population crash, exhaustion of natural resources, rising cost of living, and rampant unemployment (Ord, 47). Overpopulation also raises the concern of gradual universal famine. According to Thomas Malthus, earth’s resources are finite and they can only sustain a certain amount of population over a given period of time. Malthus also warned that overpopulation could deplete natural resources and cause a universal famine. Due to this, overpopulation can be categorized under social issues because of the social problems it is associated with.
In the mid-18th Century, the population of earth was less than eight hundred million. Barely two hundred and fifty years later, the population of earth is more than seven billion. The tremendous growth is caused by falling mortality rates, increased food production, urban concentration, and technological and scientific advancements. Overpopulation can be resolved by enhancing education, raising awareness about contraceptives, and concessions or tax benefit policies. If the issue of overpopulation is not resolved soon, we will be forced by nature to make some revolutionary changes about the way we live on earth and probably how many of us should inhibit it.
How does overpopulation impact us today?
Overpopulation has caused several direct consequences to the entire ecosystem. Overpopulation has led to exhaustion of natural resources, degradation of the environment, raise of the cost of living, rampant unemployment, among other issues. According to Thomas Malthus he earth has limited and finite resources which can only support a given level of human life. Malthus argues that at a particular point, the earth’s natural resources will be enough to sustain only the existing human population and no one more. The human population is increasing at a higher rate compared to the rate of increase of resources (Ord, 56). As the human population continues to explode, more forests are being cleared to make room for settlements, more wildlife is being hunted recklessly, and more minerals and other raw materials are consumed daily to meet human needs.
Overpopulation also causes degradation of the environment. More than fifty percent of environmental pollution is caused by human activities such as burning of fossil oils, deforestation, and emissions from industries. Such human activities have resulted to global warming, changed climatic patterns, rising sea levels, and other serious consequences to our environment (Lee, 253). As the human population continues to increase, the ecological system gets worse. The global sea levels are increasing by about 0.12 inch each year, the earth’s temperature has escalated by two degreed, and the oceans have become more acidic by about 26% over the past hundred years. Some animal and plants are gradually becoming extinct and scientists say that these impacts are inevitable and will continue to increase if human population is not controlled.
Overpopulation has also led to raise in the cost of living in almost every region across the world. As mentioned earlier, the earth’s natural resources are limited and increase at a lower rate compared to the human population (Latta, 41). The gap between demand and supply therefore, continues to raise. The prices of various commodities like houses, food stuffs, and healthcare escalates when the difference between demand and supply is huge. People have to pay more for services and general survival of their families. The rise of the cost of living leads to increased levels of poverty and frustrations. Only a small percentage of people can cater for all their needs and this has caused endless suffering to a large number of people.
Human overpopulation has also led extinction of several animal and plant species. As the human population grows, more land is being cleared to make room for buildings, roads, and railways. More animals are killed for consumption and provision of raw materials for clothes and other items. Wildlife has been displaced continuously; some species such as dinosaurs are now extinct and others are still becoming extinct every day. Rainforests are cleared for timber, pulp, and energy. As such, human overpopulation has led to wide spread bio-homogeneity, fragmentation of wild places, and collapse of ecologies (Singh, et al., 48). The extinction of plant and animal species has been attributed to unlimited appropriation to serve human purpose and needs.
How can overpopulation impact us in future?
Currently, the population of earth is estimated to be 7.6 billion people and the number is still growing. Scientists and statisticians forecast that the population of earth could reach nine billion by 2040 and eleven billion by 2100. As discussed above, overpopulation has negative economic, environmental, and social impacts. The human population is growing tremendously, and this poses more threats to the ecology and social welfare of human beings. If the population will continue exploding at this rate, more environmental pollution, extinction of animal and plant species, and exhaustion of natural resources will be inevitable.
Thomas Malthus foresees that a time will come when the earth’s resources will be enough to accommodate only a given population and no more. Malthus says that the earth’s resources are finite and they can only sustain a certain level of human life. He foresees that at a given point, the human population will stop growing because the rate of mortality will be equal to the birth or fertility rates (Malthus, 23). The increased rates of population growth also threatens the depletion of natural resources because the resources increase in a linear fashion, while the human population increases exponentially. Therefore, this could lead to universal famine and eventually the growth of human population will cease.
What steps have been taken by states and non-state actors to resolve overpopulation?
Over the past few years several policies have been enacted and legislated to resolve the issue of overpopulation. Some measures which have been taken by the government and non-state actors to curb overpopulation include; raising awareness about contraceptives, making one-child and two-child policies, providing incentives, and women empowerment (Latta, 25). Many countries have introduced cheap and readily accessible contraceptives to its citizen in order to reduce cases of unplanned pregnancies and births. Contraceptives like condoms are provided freely at all health facilities, and they not only prevent unwanted births, but they also reduce spread of sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, overpopulation is resolved by ensuring small healthy families.
Another step which has been taken to resolve overpopulation is empowerment of women. In some cultures such as Islamic countries and India, women are not considered equal to men. Boys are valued over girls and people give birth to more children in order to get more sons. Treating both women and men equally removes the gender superiority stereotype; consequently, the need to give birth to more children will be reduced. Many governments and non-state actors have increased women empowerment and raised awareness about the consequences of having many children. Empowering women in matters regarding childbirth and discrimination helps ensure an aware society.
Some states have adopted policies like one-child and two-child policies to control population growth. China and India are among the countries which have adopted such policies because human population has been increasing drastically over the past centuries (Cafaro & Eileen, 247). The one-child and two-child policies ensure that population growth remains constant because two kids replace the parents. In some states, the one-child and two-child policies are encouraged by providing incentives to people who have not more than two children. People who adhere to these policies are given free or discounted health and education services so that others could be discouraged from having many children.
Have these measures worked? Why or why not?
Although some of the measures have helped address the issue of overpopulation, most of them seem to have failed since the population growth is still alarming in many regions. The alarming rates of overpopulation indicate that some measure like voluntary family planning, one-child and two-child policies, and women empowerment have failed. The measures have failed mainly due to public resistance, lack of public awareness, and unavailability of contraceptives to the poor and many third world countries (Cafaro &Eileen, 294). In a country like India, low female literacy, high levels of fertility, and low usage of contraceptives are the main reasons why population control measures have failed.
What steps can be taken in future to resolve overpopulation?
Some steps which can be taken by the government and non-state actors to curb overpopulation include raising the marriage age from eighteen to twenty or twenty two years. A report by the UN revealed that the world population could decline significantly if the legal age for marriage is made 20 years. Other steps which can be taken in future include; making contraceptives mandatory, eradicating poverty, making the two-child policy mandatory globally, and providing free contraceptives for all people.
Works Cited
Cafaro, Philip, and Eileen Crist, eds. Life on the brink: environmentalists confront overpopulation. University of Georgia Press, 2012.
Latta, Megan T. “A Question of Values: Overpopulation and Our Choice Between Procreative Rights and Security-Survival.” (2013).
Lee, Harry F. “Climate-induced agricultural shrinkage and overpopulation in late imperial China.” Climate Research 59.3 (2014): 229-242.
Ord, Toby. “Overpopulation or Under population.” Is the planet full (2014): 46-60.
Singh, Rajeev Pratap, Anita Singh, and Vaibhav Srivastava, eds. Environmental issues surrounding human overpopulation. IGI Global, 2016.
Malthus, Thomas Robert. An Essay on the Principle of Population. 1872.