As
of today there are approximately 7,397,636,757 people on this plant. Today, 366,805 were born and 153,632 died
giving a population growth of 213,173 (Cenus). According to the United Nations, the world is
estimated to reach upwards of 10.5 billion by the turn of the century. Of the millions of species on this planet,
humans as a whole have taken over completely pushing others to the side. We take what we need via natural resources
leaving little regard for the other inhabitants or even the planet itself. With so many people requiring the same
“needs” and expectations, how can we prevent the eminent demise and destruction
of these resources? The answer lies in
the world population.
Generally speaking, the issue with population
growth is that certain countries have been having a stable increase while
others are sky rocketing. Japan and
Western Europe have had consistent growth while places like Russia have
actually been experiencing population decrease.
Some African countries are decreasing as well, however, they are among the
highest of the rapidly growing countries including India, China, the United
States, and Australia. Each country has
their own demography to deal with and views their situation differently. Interestingly enough, China has just removed
their law stating that each family can only have one child. Why would they do this in such a planetary
emergency? For China specifically, they
need to increase the younger demographic to fill the labor roles of aging
generations to keep a healthy economy. However,
many of the Chinese populous have decided against taking advantage of this
change in regulations because they understand the cost of bringing new life
into the world (Buckley,
2015).
What
kind of costs are we talking about besides monetary? Well, as the population
fluctuates so does the climate, water and food supply, and energy. The climate is the fundamental support system
for all life and is shaped by all of our activities. With populations increasing, we are needing
more land for cities to expand. But when
we take up these lands, we are losing opportunities for farming or destroying
forests which supply oxygen, shelter other organisms, and help absorb our
increasing carbon emissions. By 2050,
the demand for food and land is going to at least double and potentially triple
by the century change. This is only
really counting those who regard food as a commodity, think of the 1 billion
who are already malnourished and are stuck in areas with little chance of
farming or moving. The pressure will be
increasing as populations expand taking up more land while trying to increase
our food supply to accommodate the vast numbers of people.
Currently
this planet is not prepared to host the inevitable 10 billion people in its not
so distant future. As the population increases, our resources
diminish in a directly proportional manner. When it comes down to it, the
future appears bleak unless major changes are to occur. I propose we seriously consider the demands
that are inevitable when countries begin struggling to provide for their
people. Whether that means imposing a
limit on births or better future planning, something needs to be done.
References:
Collaborators with World
Population Balance. Frequently
Asked Questions: World Population
Balance. (Updated 2015)
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