Category: Population

The population of the Earth has been growing during the whole time of existence of the mankind. Last decades, not only does the number of people living on our planet grow, but the rate of this increase is becoming bigger and bigger.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, there is a probability that the World population will reach the level of 12 billion or even exceed the level of 25 billion by 2150 (cited in Zuckerman, p. 82). It is possible to imagine how big the food needs will be in this case: it will be necessary to cultivate more fruits, vegetables and crops to feed the population.

On the other hand, natural resources are limited, and the period of their recovery is quite long; in this sense, soil is not an exception. Producing more food means using soil more intensively, which may lead to its exhaustion. Besides, a range of other negative environmental processes such as changes in ecosystems, pollutions, acid rains etc also affect the soil (Hüttl & Frielinghaus, p.63).

Finally, growing energy consumption has led to the new trends in energy generation. For example, production of biodiesel will also require much space for cultivation of plants. The controversy that takes shape from these facts is connected with soil fertility: the population growth causes growth of food needs and thus exhausts soil, which exposes soil fertility to danger.

This controversy is a potential trigger of a range of serious problems that the mankind may face in the nearest and the distant future. Lack of food will cause numerous situations of food crisis and famine.

It is possible to predict that the developing countries with the population who have low income will suffer the most – people will not be able to buy food for prices that will grow because of the growing demand and the decreasing supply. The situation will result in “food wars” – worsening of international relations, competition for food and regions with fertile soil.

Yet in 1996 the World Bank argued that the situation had already become dramatic for Africa, “Without restoration of soil fertility, Africa faces the prospect of serious food imbalances and widespread malnutrition and likelihood of eventual famine” (cited in Keeley & Scoones, p. 43). Thus, it becomes clear that today the World community should cooperate and direct its efforts solving the soil fertility problem.

One of the main directions of overcoming the controversy with the soil use is science. Soil fertility and soil use should be studied from different perspectives. First of all, it is necessary to study the environmental and industrial factors that the most strongly affect soil fertility.

Secondly, it is important to put effort into development of new technologies in agriculture. Farming should become less exhausting for the soil, which will give the opportunity to use it more intensively and effectively. Finally, it is necessary to invent fertilizers that will help recover the soil quickly. The new fertilizers should have low cost, as in many countries high price that the farmers have to pay for them becomes a cause of soil exhaustion.

The second important direction is the international policies that should be developed and implemented. Today there are several organizations that pay attention to the soil fertility problem (Keeley & Scoones, p.48). However, the situation requires more diverse and intensive actions. In many developing countries, agriculture is not advanced, and farmers use outdated technologies to grow plants, which means that soil is used ineffectively.

On the one hand, the technology influences the crop capacity: the more progressive technology is used, the bigger harvest a farmer can grow. On the other hand, advanced agriculture technologies help protect soil from quick worsening. In case the technology is outdated, regions where the soil has low fertility will suffer from famine, and the regions that have fertile soil will miss the possibility to provide food to other regions and meet the needs of the local population.

Thus, developing countries should receive assistance and help in applying new agriculture technologies. The support can be done in the form of investment, scientific cooperation, transferring technology and information.

Dramatic population growth is connected with a range of environmental problems, and the soil fertility issue is one of the most important environmental controversies. Today the soil fertility problem is not a hypothesis anymore: it has turned into a real threat that the World population can face in the quite near future. The rate of population growth is difficult to predict, but scientists call to think about the soil fertility problem right today.

The World community should understand that our wellbeing to the great extent depends on our own efforts. Besides, we are responsible not only for our own prosperity, but for that of our future generations. To save our descendants from the food crisis, famine and “food wars”, we need to cooperate and take resolute actions on the international level. Developed countries have particular responsibility for developing new knowledge in agriculture and helping agrarian regions find optimal approaches to effective soil use.

References

Hüttl, R.F., & Frielinghaus, M. (1994, March 31). “Soil Fertility Problems – An Agriculture and Forestry Perspective”. Science of The Total Environment, 143, 1, pp. 63-74.

Keeley, J., & Scoones, I. (2003). Understanding Environmental Policy Processes: Cases from Africa. London: Earthscan.

Zuckerman, B. (1996). Human Population and the Environmental Crisis. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.

Introduction

The problem under researchers’ investigation is the changes in fish population quality and size due to overfishing. Increased volumes of caught fish have a negative influence on the biological determinants of the species (Hauser, Adcock, Smith, Ramirez, & Carvalho, 2002).

Although fishery is inexhaustible, there exists a threat to diversity of species. As the researchers state, the extensive exploitation of fishery “not only affects the abundance of target species but also changes the physical and trophic structure of marine ecosystems” (Hauser et al., 2002, p. 11742).

The research question aims at identifying the change in genetic diversity of wild fishery populations.

The study investigates how fishing affects the genetics of diverse species.

Methods used for the study

The research was conducted with the help of such methods as laboratory DNA tests and statistical analysis of the retrieved results.

Firstly, for data collection, DNA tests were conducted for two sets of DNA materials. The first one included dried scales from 1950 to 1986, and the second one included fresh samples of the species DNA extracted in 1998. The materials were screened at seven microsatellite loci (Hauser et al., 2002).

Secondly, the method of statistical analysis was used to compare the DNA test results conducted for the two sets of materials and identify the changes in the genetic characteristics of the populations of the species across half a century.

Findings and Results

Temporal changes in both populations were interpreted based on the DNA analysis and indicated consistency in the number of individuals within the species, which suffices the requirements of the effective population size.

As the results demonstrate, over the investigated period (from 1950 to 1998), the estimated effective population size was approximately 180 individuals (Hauser et al., 2002). Despite the stability in the number of population individuals, significant shifts in genetic characteristics have been identified. The genetic diversity of the fish in Tasman Bay has significantly declined over the years. The results imply that fishing activity might be harmful to the marine ecosystem in terms of its diversity even though the population size remains sufficient.

Conclusions and Implications

Despite possible bias due to the migration of fish and the overlapping of several generations, the overall findings of the research are relevant and contribute to the current academic literature. The study’s findings allow concluding that the effective size of the fish population is stable. However, there is a significant decrease in the diversity of species in Tasman Bay and Hauraki Gulf.

Commercial overfishing negatively affects fish genetic diversity, which has significantly decreased since the beginning of fishery exploitation at an industrial level.

The marine ecosystem suffers from the loss of variability of species, and the further decline in the number of species is anticipated. It is implied that the identification of the individuals capable of reproducing new populations is necessary to protect such individuals for the purposes of preserving genetic variability.

References

Hauser, L., Adcock, G. J., Smith, P. J., Ramirez, J. H. R., & Carvalho, J. R. (2002). Loss of microsatellite diversity and low effective population size in an overexploited population of New Zealand snapper (Pagrus auratus). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(18), 11742-11747.

It is difficult to get an exact number of the population of Boreal Woodland Caribou (BWC) due to its extensive distribution across the boreal forest region. In addition, they are sparsely populated with families of fewer numbers thus making assessment from above difficult. The other problem also lies in their tendency to live in solitary rather than communal habitats.

In the event of serious reduction in population, it is difficult to recover the Woodland Caribou due to some historical characteristics they exhibit. This because, with their efforts to protect themselves against predators, they are found in small families that are spatially distributed. Therefore, they typically require large sizes of habitats that are not interrupted for their everyday life. However, this is impossible in a rapidly developing Canada. In addition, their low productive rates and the high levels of predation results into low rates of survival after a severed population decline.

Some of the greatest threats to achieving self-sustaining populations are the continued loss of habitat by extensive man’s land use activities. Another threat is the natural processes or activities such as predation. The fact that Woodland Caribou is a prey to many predators; this is a threat to its survival given the widespread predation that exists in the forest.

The strategies the government has adopted to deal with these threats are controversial in many ways. The government has decided to create sufficient habitat so that it can support these species. This will be affected by either managing the environment or restoring the habitat that has been destroyed by man’s activities and natural disasters. It will go hand in hand with predator- prey management efforts in locations that justify this act. For example, this can occur in areas where the species are at a high risk of predation. This means that all the species at risk stand to benefit from these strategies. This includes the equivalent species that share the same habitat with Woodland Caribou. In conserving these species, the habitat will also continue to be protected and enhanced.

These strategies are realistic given the right procedures. This is so because in protecting and conserving the Woodland Caribou, it will have the same results on the other species that share the same habitat. Therefore, the adoption of these strategies is essential in trying to restore the desired population of the species. Land reclamation efforts will be an advantage to the ecosystem and other species in the ecosystem too. Therefore, the benefits that come with a short-term regulation on predation prey relationship are critical. This is because even though it is extended for a longer time to achieve the desired population, a consequent stop to allow normal predator will not have adverse effects on the species population. However, this should be put in check by consequential on and off control of these relationships. This will go hand in hand to cater for the prey and the predators like wolves that are in the same forest.

Besides restoration of habitat and Woodland Caribou, implementation of these strategies will go hand in hand with sensitizing the local population about the importance of conservation. Educating the people will not only help during this time of regulation but also in the future. Therefore, in view of the advantages that are exceeding the disadvantages adoption of these strategies will be celebrated. It should be noteworthy that, it is better for the government to react than do nothing at all. This is because the latter will result into the extinction of Woodland Caribou species.

Introduction

Freshwater fish of the salmon group have a high economic value, and therefore their artificial farming requires compliance with special conditions. However, unlike farmed species, wild salmon species living in the natural environment of freshwater ecosystems are at greater risk due to the lack of control. Consequently, any fluctuations in the external environment, whether temperature changes or water pollution, can have a destructive effect on the quality of life of such wild species. It is expected that populations of wild salmonid fish may decline rapidly due to water pollution instead of farmed species because the effects of water pollution are deleterious. Specifically, this could include radical changes in trophic chains, oxygen depletion, and localized temperature increases: these changes together have the potential to cause wild populations of freshwater salmon to decline at a faster rate.

Testing this hypothesis is an essential piece of critical research that will provide applied knowledge that provides a better understanding of the ecological security of freshwater ecosystems. The findings are expected to be a valuable resource for environmental policy change. Including, if the study uncovers other patterns that were not originally anticipated, it will create a more extensive and fundamentally promising contribution to improving procedures for the ecological safety of salmonid fish.

Materials and Methods

Materials

• Salmonid fish (2×50)
• Water from the American River
• Water from the American River mixed with sewage water
• Fish food
• Temperature sensor, light sensor, and water oxygenation sensor.

The design of the experiment will be based on the use of two comparison groups, an experimental and a control group. Each sample is to be represented by fifty individuals caught at random from the waters of the American River. Initially, identical conditions will ensure that systematic error is minimized. It is proposed that the experimental sample of salmonids be placed in an artificial tank with water mixed with sewage waste, while the control group is placed in a tank of the same size and under the same physical conditions, with the difference being that the water filling it must be favorable to the fish, that is, from their usual habitat. Control variables would include feeding regimen, amount of light ingested, and water temperature, while the water quality in which the fish swim would differ. This quality is expected to influence the population dynamics of the samples.

Results

Preliminary studies offering a foundation for the current experiment have yielded several impressive results. First, water pollution is associated with the development of diseases in fish, including epidermal papilloma, fin rot, and hyperplasia (Austin, 1998). Second, changes in oxygen saturation in the freshwater ecosystem have resulted in radical changes in fish behavior (Reebs, 2009). This suggests that contaminated water will harm the salmon population size. Specifically, habitat contamination is expected to show the mortality of a more significant proportion of fish in the experimental group, even in the short term. In contrast, for the control group, no significant changes are expected to be seen because the natural conditions of the fish have been maintained.

Discussion

This study aimed to investigate the effects of polluted waters on the quality of life of salmonid fish. Specifically, population dynamics were used as the dependent variable. The experimental fish population was expected to decline due to the deleterious effects of polluted waters. This deleterious effect could be realized through a decrease in population size — which is one of the most expected outcomes — or through changes in fish behavior, which scientific papers have predicted. In either case, the effects of water pollution are predicted to be noticed. Potential sources of error in the study could be smaller vessels, which would inevitably change salmon behavior. In addition, the experimental groups may be different due to mutational mechanisms that were not evident in the selection.

The results will prove extremely useful in terms of environmental safety. It will help environmentalists monitor natural habitats in more detail and model changes. In addition, the proposed study could easily be expanded: additional fish species could be used as such variations, and the more targeted effects of different contaminants on population welfare could be studied. Taking into account considerations of ecological safety and economic value of salmonid fish, the present study deserves to be carried out.

References

Austin, B. (1998). The effects of pollution on fish health. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 85(S1), 234-242. Web.

Reebs, S. G. (2009). Oxygen and fish behaviour [PDF document]. Web.

What are some of the causes for the loss of biodiversity in Micronesia? Describe at least one of the endemic species (either plant or animal) that is under threat due to habitat loss or degradation.

It is apparent that life is changing for the people in Micronesia as shown by the fact that fishermen have been recording lower levels of fish caught daily. It is apparent that the number of fish in the region has been on an exponentially decreasing trend that has led to many people facing uncertainty in their livelihood because the fish has been their main source of income and food. It is also apparent that the quality of the water has been compromised over the years. The people in the region claim that the water used to be clear, but it has turned into brown and green, and some of the regions are filled with silt, resulting in muddy beaches that can no longer support aquatic fauna and flora (Musburger, 2011).

The region has also been facing an increase in the sea level, which has resulted in some of the islands being submerged in water. The people have been forced to move further inland where the terrain is higher than the sea line, which is quickly shifting inward. This means that in the future, the people living in Micronesia will have to move to other parts of the world when their homes get submerged in the water (Musburger, 2011). Additionally, the fertile lands for agriculture are also being submerged in the water, and the harsh weather patterns are also making farming an unreliable source of water in the region. This implies that people in Micronesia will soon face famine and various health issues.

A biodiversity hotspot is a region associated with a high level of biodiversity and a high level of threat from destruction. Micronesia meets these characteristics because it is home to thousands of plant and animal species, whose existence is threatened by the climatic changes in the region. Most of the habitat is being destroyed by the changes in weather patterns and other environmental changes. The rise in sea level has seen the destruction of most of the land where animals and plants live. One of the endemic species in the region is 11 species of bats that are only found in the islands.

What is the driving force behind the destruction of the elephant population? What other animal trades are mentioned on the World Wildlife site? Choose one to research further and describe the market demand for the product related to the animal at risk. Are any regulations in place? How are these regulations enforced?

The driving force for the destruction of elephants is the ivory trade (Hearts and minds, 2016). The world has also seen an increase in the trade of wildlife as pets and their various body parts are sold to people for various purposes, including the production of ornaments and leather. Trading wild animal skins and fur has been rampant over the past decade; thus, prompting the global society to develop policies that limit the trade of illegal wildlife products in the developed nations (Sliwinski, 2015). The nations across the world collaborate in ensuring that only individuals with permits to sell the products conduct the business (Illegal wildlife trade, 2016). Wildlife conservation agencies are also involved in protecting endangered animals.

What are some possible solutions to the overpopulation of deer in the eastern forests? How could you monitor your proposed solutions in order to ensure success?

The number of deer in the forest has increased dramatically because of the lack of predators in the region to feed on the deer as natural population control. While hunters could control the population of deer in the region, regulations compelled them to refrain from killing the animals as more people advocated for the conservation of wildlife (Hamill, 2015). The deer population has affected the local community by crashing in their homesteads and compromising the survival of shrubs and other vegetation in the region (Pursell, Weldy, & White, 2013). The most feasible solution to the problem is to cull the deer to a manageable number. This should be implemented through licensed hunters.

References

Hamill, J. (2015). Controversial plan to manage the deer population. Web.

Hearts and minds. The Economist. (2016). Web.

Illegal wildlife trade. (2016). Web.

Musburger, C. (2011).Micronesia’s changing climate. Web.

Pursell, A., Weldy, T., & White, M. (2013). Too many deer: A bigger threat to eastern forests than climate change? Web.

Sliwinski, M. (2015). Lions and tigers and bears: Inside the exotic animal trade. Web.

Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Sustainability development is a form of development that emphasizes responsible use to ensure that the same resources can benefit the coming generations. In essence, sustainable development exploits resources with future generations in mind. Development in this perspective incorporates both the social and economic aspects of development. Ecological sustainability and economy are related in the sense that the economy depends upon ecological provisions for survival.

Corporations play a crucial role in sustainability because they are composed of individuals and processes that exploit ecological elements. As corporations develop, they use these elements, and the corporations must use the elements sustainably. The essence of sustainable development is to ensure that societies frugally use resources and mindful of other societies and future generations.

Sustainable Development and Sustainability

Although governments are aware of the importance of sustainable development, there still exist gaps between the structuring of policies and implementing the policies. However, the bottlenecks that characterize sustainable development are so complex, stubborn, and unpredictable. Population growth has particularly been characterized as a major challenge to sustainable development. The population should be kept within safe limits to protect the environment from over-exploitation. The common global responsibility to ensure sustainable development has led to conferences such as the Earth Summit that seek to combine the efforts of nations towards a common goal. A combined effort towards should be a milestone of every discussion on sustainable development.

The Future is not what it used to be: World Population Trends

Predicting population trends has been a major challenge for demographers and other scientists. One approach that has been used by demographers in predicting future populations is through the determination of fertility rates. However, the approach proved to be unreliable due to the fluctuating fertility rates in countries. Although demographers usually assume that demographic dynamics of fertility, mortality, and migration will change gradually, aspects such as diseases and plagues often cause these aspects to change suddenly. For instance, HIV has caused significant demographic changes in third-world countries. These aspects have made demographic predictions difficult.

The Population Bomb Revisited

Overpopulation has always been an issue in the present world, although, during the Marxist period, it took a more political approach. Marx thought that the ruling class was just using overpopulation to reduce the population of the poor while increasing the population of the rich. However, the present civilization woke up to a rude shock when it realized that overpopulation was leading to drastic climatic changes that meant doom for the civilization.

The concept of population explosion had already been outlined. Still, it received little acceptance because some experts felt that a high population was good in increasing the production capacity of nations. However, the reality of the population explosion led nations to take reproductive measures like family planning. The article recommends that the only solution to the population explosion was to establish control over the birth rate to balance the mechanisms influenced by the death rate.

Introduction

The purpose of the present work was to examine population patterns for a dummy population and data on the deaths of 80 individuals. The study of such patterns is necessary to understand better the mechanisms that influence populations, as well as to look for hidden relationships between variables. The variables in the paper were generation size and age of the cohorts. Of interest was an analysis of how population dynamics were related to these variables, that is, whether there were any discernible relationships.

Modeling Population Growth Lab Exercise One

For our first exercise, Modeling Population Growth, I was tasked to simulate the growth or decline of the human population based on rolling dice. In this simulation, dice with one or four dots were considered birth, dice with two, three, or five dots were considered nothing, and if you had six dots, then that was considered a death. I was given 100 miniature dice and the experiment had us start by rolling only four dice. If you had a birth, you were expected to add dice to the pile before the next roll, and if you had a death, you were expected to remove the dice from the pile. For example, if you had three births and one death in a roll, you would have to add two dice to your pile before the next roll because one death cancels out one birth. The expectation was to do this until you reached a population of 100 or more.

Conducting this simulation took me twenty generations to reach a population of greater than 100, ultimately, I ended in generation twenty with a population of 109. I felt lucky with my rolls at the beginning of this simulation because if you rolled too many sixes, then you could easily become extinct and were expected to start over. Thankfully, with the dice rolls I had, I did not end up encountering that problem, nor did I come close. The relatively low growth rate of the population may be due to the fact that the population was a sexually evolved individual with sexual differentiation. In such populations, an individual must go through stages of natural selection and struggle for survival, which include mating and mate attraction, before giving offspring (Thines, 2019). For this reason, population increases may not be as rapid as in the case of asexual reproduction, where such steps are not required.

As the dynamics of this population shown in Figure 1 suggest, the increase did not have a linear trend but an exponential one. This means that the increase in this population occurred at a much higher rate than in the case of linear growth. Eventually, such dynamics would mean that this population could reach infinity, but the exponential model can be applied to the population only to a limited extent, as it does not take into account the pressure of external and internal restraining forces.

For the net changes in population size as a function of generation, there was a noticeable pattern that the largest changes are characteristic of populations of the largest size. This is noticeable as a shift of large frequencies to the right, i.e., toward the maximum population size, as follows from Figure 1. The largest change, however, was characteristic of generation 17, which means it is incorrect to postulate that the magnitude of the net change is linearly related to population size. A relationship does exist, but it is likely to be of a different nature. In larger populations, the probability of deaths or births turns out to be higher, so such an increase in change may be due to an actual increase in that probability.

It is noteworthy that this laboratory work did not impose any constraints on population growth, that is, size and changes in generations were determined only by statistical probability for playing cubes. In real life, communities within an ecosystem are subject to a huge number of limiting factors and barriers that prevent this growth. Thus, the pattern of change from generation size may be somewhat different for real populations. The theoretical model, unlike the real one, can have unlimited growth since there are no restrictions on this growth. However, in the case of real communities, infinite growth is not possible for any population (Smil, 2019). Internal and external restraining mechanisms begin to put pressure on growing populations, leading them to either restraint or extinction, but in either case, do not contribute to infinite growth.

Investigating a Human Population Lab Exercise Two

For our second exercise, Investigating a Human Population, I had the option to go to a cemetery and gather data, or I could use a data table provided by the lab. Due to inclement weather reasons, I chose to use the data table provided by the lab for this experiment. Essentially, I was given the names of eighty fictitious deceased individuals, their date of birth, and the date of their death. With that information at hand, I then calculated each person’s age and made a note if they were male or female. One of the tasks in the exercise was to determine which cohort had the highest probability of dying, and it was determined that the age group 70 years and older best fit this category, receiving a value of 100%. The cohort with the lowest probability of death fell into the age group 20 to 29, receiving a value of 10%. At the same time, as seen in Figure 3, the older the individual was, the higher their chances of dying were overall. This means that the older generation is more likely to die than the younger.

For this sample, there were 80 records of human deaths, 38 of which were females and 42 of which were males. Thus, there was no one whose gender in the binary system could not be determined by name analysis. Notably, the mean age of the sample was 36 years, meaning that they were predominantly young people. For men, the median age of life was 36, and for women, it was slightly higher, it is 37. From this, one can make the cautious choice that life expectancy for women is slightly higher than for men.

Table 1. Baseline mortality records for 80 people

Significant reductions in state prenatal and infant support programs could lead to a shift in the pattern of deaths, that is, an increase in the proportion of deaths at the earliest age. This could also affect the lives of pregnant women, who would lose the opportunity to receive quality health care services. As a result, the 20 to 50 age group, which includes women who are able to give birth, may also undergo changes in the statistics of deaths due to adverse childbirth.

Conclusion

This paper investigated population ecology patterns for two exercises. The first was based on a statistical experiment involving throwing dice, and the second used information on the deaths of eighty people. The general results found in this work can be summarized as follows. The population formed had exponential growth and, theoretically, could grow indefinitely, but in real life would experience pressure from internal and external environmental forces. The chances of dying were higher in the older generation, with the pattern being age-related. However, this pattern might have been altered by worsening state support for infants and pregnant mothers.

References

Thines, M. (2019). An evolutionary framework for host shifts – jumping ships for survival. New Phytologist, 224(2), 605-617. Web.

Smil, V. (2019). Growth: From microorganisms to megacities. Mit Press.

In the current year, 2011, world population is approaching the 7billion mark: one billion more than the statistics taken in 1999. This is a definite indication that the human population is rapidly increasing. The most ironic fact is that much of this population growth is happening in the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) as compared to the Most Developed Countries (MDCs).

The overpopulation menace is generating a lot of concern since it is putting a lot of strain on our planet and its natural resources. A significant note to be taken concerning overpopulation is that it does not just refer to the density of the population, but it is a comparison of the density as a ratio of resources.

With this in mind, solutions to overpopulation do not only target the reduction of numbers but also tackle issues concerning the environment’s sustainability. In this article, I will briefly air my opinion on the causes and effect of rapid population growth. I will suggest what can be done to bring the situation under control.

Causes of population growth

The causes of overpopulation vary with geographical location and the level of development as in the case of LDCs and MDCs. In the LDCs, common causes include: declining mortality rates (due to available treatments stemming from MDCs), increasing birth rates and inadequate education. In the MDCs however the case is slightly different.

They majorly are exposed to more scientific and technological advancements which go along way in improving their health and increasing their food production which results in an increase of their life expectancy. They are also affected by migration with people moving to “greener pastures”.

Another factor associated with population growth is ignorance on birth control measures especially in the LDCs. Cultural beliefs that controlling of birth is evil and against the doctrines of nature is dominant in LDCs resulting to continuously growing populations.

Mainstream churches such as the Catholic Church has been having a strong stance against the use of contraceptives as a means of controlling birth. Taking into consideration the huge followers of this faith it cannot be assumed that such a stance by the Catholic Church will not have an effect on increasing the population.

Effects of overpopulation

The effects are so visible especially to our environment ranging from cutting down of forests to pollution in densely populated areas. Extra mouths to feed will definitely result in economic strain especially in LDCs leading to poverty. With places faced with economic strain as a result of population increase, poor living conditions become evident.

Religion has even been blamed by some due to the restriction they impose on contraceptives and abortion. Others include: global warming, starvation and malnutrition, land and resource disputes, increased crime rates among others. The overwhelming consensus is that something needs to be done fast to prevent even worse consequences.

Possible Solutions

For the LDCs education and woman empowerment has by now continued to produce fruitful results hence it should be enhanced. General education to the public will also bring insight to the population concerning the magnitude of the problem at hand.

Many nations could also adopt the use of renewable energies (to reduce pollution), teach families the importance of family planning and also develop the rural areas in order to curb migration processes. An extraordinary solution is also being explored though its+ viability is yet to be proven: it involves extraterrestrial settlement.

Conclusion

The solutions need to have a more personal inclination. Once one is brought to the knowledge of the prevailing problem of overpopulation, then it is essential that we all do our part as individuals in order to be able to achieve the common goal of curbing the population menace at the same time making our environment sustainable.

In the last two centuries, the world has experienced an explosion in population growth. Although this growth has significantly slowed down in the past few years, there is still a general increase in world population. This growth has increased demand for resources. In order to survive, man has come up with new methods of farming and production of energy. All this has been done without considering how it would affect the environment. The result is that we are talking too little too late about this problem. This is being done without taking measures to ensure there is a clean and safe environment. This has brought about global warming and a host of other problems. Just like with any other problem, these issues require solutions that override selfishness and greed especially in the developed world. The solutions should also inspire new technologies and motivate great leadership. (Arizpe, etal 240)

Great cities that have come up around the world are a sign of population growth among countries. In bringing up these cities, there is always the need for land to put up buildings. In turn, the buildings require some resources like trees and stones. It is important to plant trees and create parks in these cities so that the environment is preserved. Afforestation should be carried out to replenish trees that have been used in the buildings. Besides, the magnitude of quarrying that can be carried out in one area should be limited. We should also replant the quarries instead of leaving them bare. There should also be careful planning in a city’s development so that the city can handle the intended human capacity without major problems like traffic jam, water shortage among other obstacles. (Zuckerman& Jefferson 94)

While exploiting mineral resources like oil, natural gas, diamond, coal and gold, care should be taken to ensure that the environment is preserved as much as possible. One way of doing this is by creating and empowering a body that will be expected to carry out a comprehensive research on how the mining will impact the environment. The body should also draft the best way and methods that the mining can be carried out. It should also adopt measures that should be taken to ensure that the environment is not hurt before any mining can begin. This body should constantly monitor mining activities to ensure that mining companies stick to environmental safety rules. There should also be a report on environmental impact analysis carried out by a team of environmental experts. In the long run, it would be better to have a global body to do this kind of job to prevent cases of compromise among the different stakeholders. (Zuckerman& Jefferson 98)

One effect of environmental damage that is of great concern to the world today is the issue of global warming. Industrialized countries emit vast quantities of carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases into the atmosphere creating a green house effect that is harming the whole world. It is important for countries to sign and adhere to agreements that intend to reduce global warming like the Kyoto protocol. Technologies that reduce green house effects should be developed and used. This requires political goodwill from governments by creating appropriate laws and policies. Besides, it would really help for countries to adapt alternative energy sources like wind power and solar energy that do not pollute the environment. An example of this is the proposal to build a great solar power plant in Sahara Africa that can supply the whole of Europe with electrical energy. (Arizpe, etal 248)

Many countries view nuclear energy as a true sign of power and influence in world affairs. While people have been driven by a need for energy to adapt this technology, its use has been of great damage to the world. The environment hurting arsenal ranges from nuclear waste to nuclear weapons. Closing of these nuclear plants and uranium enrichment facilities in preference for other clean energy sources would be step in the right direction. The world needs to come to a fast agreement that would see all nuclear weapons around the world destroyed. Failure to do so would encourage proliferation of the weapons in more countries around the world. Since all weapons made by man will have to be used at one time, the world can only wait with bated breath to see how these weapons will affect us and our planet. (Park 475)

It is not possible for any country to work in isolation while preserving the environment. The world needs to work in unity towards this goal. Since most developing countries are poor, it would be good for rich countries to help them in conserving their environment. This includes providing technical support and financial resources geared towards environmental conservation. The capacity of these countries to come up with solutions affecting their environments should not be ignored but enhanced. (Arizpe, etal 252) Great cooperation should also be fostered among developed countries so that they work together in conserving the environment. This should include areas like research and policy formulation. Poverty in poor nations has led to a rise in environmental degradation. Major forests and catchments areas have been destroyed. Developed countries should therefore help poor nations to bring down the levels of poverty. Educating the general public on the importance of conserving the environment is also important in every country. (Zuckerman& Jefferson 101)

We need to take measures to conserve and protect our water sources. Industries should not be allowed to dump waste into rivers, lakes and other water bodies. Over use of water from sources is another problem that is arising. An example is lake Naivasha in Kenya where water the water level has reduced significantly due to neighboring flower farms in the area that draw large quantities of water from the lake besides dumping wastes in the lake. It is also important to clean up rivers, lakes and other water bodies to conserve them. Oil transportation companies should develop and use ships that are less likely to cause oil spillage besides putting in place emergency measures in case of spillage. Planting trees and vegetation cover goes a long way in conserving water catchments areas which are river sources. (Arizpe, etal 254)

Population growth has encouraged farming techniques that greatly rely on commercial fertilizers and other farming technologies. Land overuse is also a direct result of overpopulation. Countries should therefore put up measures to ensure that the type of fertilizers used do not pollute soil, water and the environment in general. Proper land demarcation that ensures there is enough land for farming should also be adopted. (Park 480)

Conservation of the environment is a responsibility of every person living on this planet irrespective of wherever country they are in. It is a challenge that requires political goodwill, great leadership, commitment and new scientific innovations. We may think that we are harming the environment but we are actually harming ourselves. We should think about dangerous radiations falling on our skin, rising oceans that drown towns and villages, decreased rainfall and hunger. These could be part of our daily life if we don’t act now to conserve our environment.

References

Arizpe, Lourdes.S. Stone, Priscilla.M, & Major, David. Arizpe, Lourdes. (Ed). Population and environment: rethinking the debate, West view Press 41.1 (1994): 298-352.

Park, C.Chris. (2^nd Ed). The environment: principles and applications, Rutledge 10.4 (2001): 452-660.

Zuckerman, Ben, & Jefferson, David. (Ed). “Human population and the environmental crisis”, Philosophy series, Jones & Bartlett Publishers 12.4 (1996): 72-120.

Introduction

The world population has increased to over six billion people in the last century. This rapid increase is attributed to improvements in social and economic development in the last five decades, which led to improved standards of living. However, the rapid increase in human population has had several negative effects on the world’s resources. In this paper, the negative effects of the rapid increase in human population on the world’s resources will be discussed.

Effects on Resources

To begin with, increase in human population has negatively affected natural resources in various parts of the world. Natural resources such as forests, wetlands, and wildlife have been destroyed in order to create land for human settlement (Easton 67).

Additionally, there has been overexploitation of natural resources such as minerals, especially, in countries with poor regulation of the use of natural resources. This has led to land degradation. For instance, abandoned minefields in most parts of Africa have huge trenches and holes, which make it difficult to use the land for other activities (Aggrawal 32). Moreover, increased mining activities have resulted into destruction of wildlife habitats.

The rapid increase in human population has led to increased industrial production in nearly all countries. Despite its positive contributions to economic development, industrial production has had severe effects on the environment. In particular, toxic industrial wastes are often discharged into the ambient environment. This has resulted into extinction of several plant and animal species in various ecosystems (Aggrawal 45).

Furthermore, industrial production has led to increased emission of greenhouse gases due to the use of fossil fuel in factories and transportation. Consequently, the rate of global warming has increased significantly in the last three decades. Increased industrial production has also resulted into a reduction in the availability of energy. In most countries, the available non-renewable sources of energy such as oil and natural gas cannot meet the energy needs of the ever-increasing population.

Food production has also been affected negatively by the expansion of the human population. The amount of fertile land that is available for farming or food production has reduced greatly due to changes in land use. Rapid urbanization has caused a shift in land use from food production to real estate and commercial developments (Easton 71).

Additionally, land fertility in most countries has reduced due to the pollution caused by industrial production. Global warming continuous to cause adverse climatic changes, which include draughts, floods, strong wind, and high temperatures. These changes not only endanger the survival of food crops, but also promote the multiplication of pathogens and weeds that destroy crops in the fields.

In response to the declining food production, modern agricultural technologies such as the use of fertilizers and irrigation have been introduced. However, these technologies negatively affect the environment, thereby reducing food production in the long-run. For instance, irrigation leads to overexploitation of natural water sources such as rivers and lakes. On the other hand, scientific research has shown that the use of fertilizers reduces soil quality (Easton 97).

Conclusion

The rapid increase in human population has severely affected the world’s resources in several ways. These include reduction in food production, overexploitation of minerals, and destruction of various species of animals. In addition, environmental degradation has increased. Consequently, the growth rate of the world population should be controlled.

Works Cited

Aggrawal, Vijay. Environmental Studies . London: Butterworth-Heinneman , 2010. Print.

Easton, Thomas. Environmental Studies. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.