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Overpopulation - Shortened Text

The world's population reached seven billion in 2011, with projections suggesting it could rise to 9.7 billion by 2050 and nearly 16 billion by 2100, leading to increased pressure on resources like water, land, and energy. While overpopulation is often blamed for global issues, the real problem lies in overconsumption, particularly in wealthier nations, where a small percentage of the population uses the majority of resources. Education is crucial in addressing these challenges, as it can lead to smaller family sizes and greater awareness of sustainable consumption practices.

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10 views2 pages

Overpopulation - Shortened Text

The world's population reached seven billion in 2011, with projections suggesting it could rise to 9.7 billion by 2050 and nearly 16 billion by 2100, leading to increased pressure on resources like water, land, and energy. While overpopulation is often blamed for global issues, the real problem lies in overconsumption, particularly in wealthier nations, where a small percentage of the population uses the majority of resources. Education is crucial in addressing these challenges, as it can lead to smaller family sizes and greater awareness of sustainable consumption practices.

Uploaded by

shrade
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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In 2011, the population of the world reached seven billion people.

The UN
Population Division predicts the number could be as high as 9.7 billion by
2050; the same number of people who currently reside in the African and
American continents combined. This is hard to conceive.

Although families are getting smaller, people are living longer because
medical and technical advances have lessened the impact of infectious
disease. As a result, the UN's worst case scenario for 2100 is that the world
population will reach almost 16 billion. And yet already we are placing undue
pressure on the Earth. The kind of pressure that, if increased, could have a
profound and irreparable effect on our planet. The first fundamental issue is
water. Just 2.5% of the world's water is fresh. Drought and poor infrastructure
mean that already today water is a scarce resource. One in three people in
every continent do not have enough water to satisfy their daily needs.
Without clean drinking water, there will be an exponential increase in the
incidence of diseases. Without water for agriculture and industry, our food
and manufacturing industries will be unable to satisfy demand.

The second critical issue is land. Current agricultural practices and the
impact of pollution both contribute to soil erosion and a decreased level of
soil fertility. It is estimated such poor quality land affects 1.5 billion people
around the world. Deforestation and mining have had a devastating impact
on our ecosystem and the biodiversity on which it thrives. Another prime
concern is energy. Governents, such as those in Denmark and Germany, are
investing in renewable energy to eliminate their reliance on oil and to tap
into resources with greater sustainability.

Overpopulation is not a problem for one country or continent; it is a problem


for all of us. The UN estimates that by 2030 the world will need 50% more
food, 30% more water, and 45% more energy than it does today. We must
develop a coherent strategy that will increase access to education for all. Not
only is education a fundamental human right, it also facilitates a reduction in
population growth. Large families tend to be prevalent in developing
countries and yet when men, women, and children in these areas receive
education, family sizes shrink.

It is true that the world's population is growing, but this is not the cause of
our current and future global problems. Believing this will give rise to
ignorance of the real problem and the resulting irreparable damage to our
planet.
Let me start by explaining why overpopulation is a myth. The UN Population
Division regularly predicts population growth, but provides a low variant,
medium variant, and high variant to factor in various likelihoods. In most
cases, it is the low variant that has come true in the past, suggesting the
same will be true of their future population predictions. Furthermore, the size
of families is actually decreasing. The average woman now has 2.4 children,
which is very close to the replacement level of 2.3. In many countries the
fertility rate is even lower.

For the Earth to be overpopulated, there needs to be insufficient food, water,


and space for humans to live. Indian economist Raj Krishna estimates that
India alone is capable of increasing crop yields to the point of providing the
entire world's food supply. The World Food Programme confirms that there is
sufficient food grown to feed the world; it has simply been redistributed. So
how is it possible that the number of people in the world is impacting on our
planet?

It is not an increase in population that is a dire threat. It is an increase in


consumption. Materialism and overconsumption are facts of life for
everybody in the western world, as possessions reflect a person's status in
society and people strive to obtain happiness through owning the latest
fashionable goods. It is a sad truth that 80% of the world's resources are
currently used by just 20% of the world's population, which means that a fifth
of us use four-fifths of the world's food and energy.

With more developing countries set to generate greater wealth, there is


bound to be an exponential increase in overconsumption in the future, so we
must be prepared. The key is education. The more people understand about
the consequences of their materialism, the fewer resources they are likely to
consume. If we focus on the wrong issue and do not work towards this, we
may find ourselves living on a planet that can no longer provide for all of us,
or worse, can no longer sustain human life at all.

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