Sustainability vs Growth Is overpopulation a problem Overpopulation

Sustainability vs. Growth Is overpopulation a problem?

Overpopulation • Occurs when a population has grown beyond a certain point so that resources are consumed faster than they are replenished

Overpopulation • Unsustainable: using a resource in a manner that will cause depletion or permanent damage

Effects • Deforestation • Desertification • Air pollution • Global warming • Spread of disease • Species Extinctions

Earth’s Limits • Resources – Clean drinking water – Petroleum – Arable Farmland – Forests – Fish

Earth’s Limits • Services – Employment – Medical Care – Education – Electricity – Sewage Treatment

Earth’s Limits • Environmentalists estimate Earth’s carrying capacity to be as low as 1 billion

UN estimates that 1 billion people have unmet basic needs

Some Numbers • It took until 1830 for Earth’s population hit 1 billion • In 1999, there were over 6 billion people on the planet • Population projections range from 7 to 11 billion by the year 2050, usually around 9 billion

Some Numbers • Developing countries account for 95% of population growth • Since 1960, Asia’s population has more than doubled, and Africa’s population has tripled • 3 out of 5 people in developing countries have no access to basic sanitation

Possible Causes • Advances in nutrition and health care have increased life expectancy and survival rates • High fertility rates, especially in developing countries

Possible Solutions • Invest in community health care – Healthy people are more economically productive – Give parents in developing countries a reason to believe their children will grow up healthy

Possible Solutions • Education – Educated women tend to have fewer children – Children of educated people are generally more healthy

Possible Solutions • Active participation in the political process – Influence policy and resource allocation

Right Here, Right Now • Be environmentally cautious • Think carefully about what you choose to use and own – Conserve water and electricity – Ride a bike or walk to get around • Recycle

Maybe Not. . . • Some economists have estimated Earth’s carrying capacity as high as 40 billion- rather different from the environmentalists.

Maybe Not. . . • Although population growth causes problems, problem solvers arise

Food • On a global scale, food production has grown faster than population • Just as technology has improved health care, crop yields are now larger than ever

Food • Inflation adjusted food prices have been falling for a century • Food is becoming relatively less expensive

Food • People are not going hungry because there is not enough food • They cannot eat because civil wars and poor transportation keep food from getting to them

Space • The entire world population could crowd into the space of Jacksonville, Florida • There is plenty of room on the planet

Growth • Rapid population growth does not make a country poor • England, the United States and Hong Kong all became wealthy during periods of intense population increase

Different Philosophies • Is overpopulation a problem? • Yes: The large population has already caused too much damage and we are past carrying capacity • No: Any population naturally adjusts to fit within its limits

Make a Decision • Whether or not you think overpopulation is a problem, using resources wisely is still a way to invest in the future

• Sources – http: //www. nationalgeographic. com/ – http: //www. cnn. com/ – http: //www. overpopulation. org/ – http: //www. facingthefuture. org/ – http: //www. fightaging. org/ – http: //www. cato. org/

• For activity ideas – Index cards: www. smv. org/JIL/mll/ktwo/MLLK-12 RB-Ca-pop. pdf – Tragedy of the Commons- Fishing Example: http: //www. scienceteacherprogram. org/biology/szerlip 03. html – Activities and Case Studies: http: //www. prb. org/Educators/Lesson. Plans/1997/Adventureson. Earth. aspx – Food for Thought- Global Differences in Population and Resource Use: http: //www. populationeducation. org/media/upload/Food. Thought 06. pdf – Apple as an illustration: http: //www. populationeducation. org/media/upload/appleint. pdf – More ideas- click on activities: http: //www. populationeducation. org/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=331&It emid=10