Overpopulation is an undesirable condition where the number of existing human population exceeds the carrying capacity of Earth. Overpopulation is caused by number of factors. Reduced mortality rate, better medical facilities, depletion of precious resources are few of the causes which results in overpopulation. It is possible for a sparsely populated area to become densely populated if it is not able to sustain life. Growing advances in technology with each coming year has affected humanity in many ways. One of these has been the ability to save lives and create better medical treatment for all. A direct result of this has been increased lifespan and the growth of the population. In the past fifty or so years, the growth of population has boomed and has turned into overpopulation. In the history of our species, the birth and death rate have always been able to balance each and maintain a population growth rate that is sustainable.
growth of population has been on a constant increase. Between the time of the plague and the 21st century, there was been hundreds and thousands of wars, natural calamities and man-made hazards. However, none of these have made a dent on the population. Developing nations face the problem of overpopulation more than developed countries, but it affects most of the Earth as of now. When we are talking about overpopulation, we should first understand the causes of it. Causes of Overpopulation Decline in the Death Rate: At the root of overpopulation is the difference between the overall birth rate and death rate in populations. If the number of children born each year equals the number of adults that die, then the population will stabilize. Talking about overpopulation shows that while there are many factors that can increase the death rate for short periods of time, the ones that increase the birth rate do so over a long period of time. The discovery of agriculture by our ancestors was one factor that provided them with the ability to sustain their nutrition without hunting. This created the first imbalance between the two rates. Better Medical Facilities: Following this came the industrial revolution. Technological advancement was perhaps the biggest reason why the balance has been permanently disturbed. Science was able to produce better means of producing food, which allowed families to feed more mouths. Medical science made many discoveries thanks to which they were able to defeat a whole range of diseases. Illnesses that had claimed thousands of lives till now were cured because of the invention of vaccines. Combining the increase in food supply with fewer means of mortality tipped the balance and became the starting point of overpopulation. More Hands to Overcome Poverty: However, when talking about overpopulation we should understand that there is a psychological component as well. For thousands of years, a very small part of the population had enough money to live in comfort. The rest faced poverty and would give birth to large families to make up for the high infant mortality rate. Families that have been through poverty, natural disasters or are simply in need of more hands to work are a major factor for overpopulation. As compared to earlier times, most of these extra children survive and consume resources that are not sufficient in nature. Technological Advancement in Fertility Treatment: With latest technological advancement and more discoveries in medical science, it has become possible for couple who are unable to conceive to undergo fertility treatment methods and have their own babies. Today there are effective medicines which can increases the chance of conception and lead to rise in birth rate. Moreover, due to modern techniques pregnancies today are far more safer. Immigration: Many people prefer to move to developed countries like US, UK, Canada and Australia where best facilities are available in terms of medical, education, security and employment. The end result is that those people settle over there and those places become overcrowded. Difference between the number of people who are leaving the country and the number of people who enter narrows down which leads to more demand for food, clothes, energy and homes. This gives rise to shortage of resources. Though the overall population remains the same, it just affects the density of population making that place simply overcrowded. Lack of Family Planning: Most developing nations have large number of people who are illiterate, live below the poverty line and have little or no knowledge about family planning. Getting their children married at an early age increase the chances of producing more kids. Those people are unable to understand the harmful effects of overpopulation and lack of ignorance prompts them to avoid family planning measures. Effects of Overpopulation Depletion of Natural Resources: The effects of overpopulation are quite severe. The first of these is the depletion of resources. The Earth can only produce a limited amount of water and food, which is falling short of the current needs. Most of the environmental damage being seen in the last fifty odd years is because of the growing number of people on the planet. They are cutting down forests, hunting wildlife in a reckless manner, causing pollution and creating a host of problems. Those engaged in talking about overpopulation have noticed that acts of violence and aggression outside of a war zone have increased tremendously while competing for resources. Degradation of Environment: With the overuse of coal, oil and natural gas, it has started producing some serious effects on our environment. Rise in the number of vehicles and industries have badly affected the quality of air. Rise in amount of CO2 emissions leads to global warming. Melting of polar ice caps, changing climate patterns, rise in sea level are few of the consequences that we might we have to face due to environment pollution. Conflicts and Wars: Overpopulation in developing countries puts a major strain on the resources it should be utilizing for development. Conflicts over water are becoming a source of tension between countries, which could result in wars. It causes more diseases to spread and makes them harder to control. Starvation is a huge issue facing the world and the mortality rate for children is being fuelled by it. Poverty is the biggest hallmark we see when talking about overpopulation. All of this will only become worse if solutions are not sought out for the factors affecting our population. We can no longer prevent it, but there are ways to control it. Rise in Unemployment: When a country becomes overpopulated, it gives rise to unemployment as there fewer jobs to support large number of people. Rise in unemployment gives rise to crime as people will steal various items to feed their family and provide them basic amenities of life. High Cost of Living: As difference between demand and supply continues to expand due to overpopulation, it raises the prices of various commodities including food, shelter and healthcare. This means that people have to pay more to survive and feed their families. Solutions to Overpopulation Better Education: One of the first measures is to implement policies reflecting social change. Educating the masses helps them understand the need to have one or two children at the most. Families that are facing a hard life and choose to have four or five children should be discouraged. Family planning and efficient birth control can help in women making their own reproductive choices. Open dialogue on abortion and voluntary sterilization should be seen when talking about overpopulation. Making People Aware of Family Planning: As population of this world is growing at a rapid pace, raising awareness among people regarding family planning and letting them know about serious after effects of overpopulation can help curb population growth. One of the best way is to let them know about various safe sex techniques and contraceptives methods available to avoid any unwanted pregnancy. Tax Benefits or Concessions: Government of various Solar Wind Geothermal Global Warming Recycling Fossil Fuels Pollution Energy Articles countries might have to come with various policies related to tax exemptions to curb overpopulation. One of them might be to waive of certain part of income tax or lowering rates of income tax for those married couples who have single or two children. As we humans are more inclined towards money, this may produce some positive results. Knowledge of Sex Education: Imparting sex education to young kids at elementary level should be must. Most parents feel shy in discussing such things with their kids which result in their children going out and look out for such information on internet or discuss it with their peers. Mostly, the information is incomplete which results in sexually active teenagers unaware of contraceptives and embarrassed to seek information about same. It is therefore important for parents and teachers to shed their old inhibitions and make their kids or students aware of solid sex education.
Overpopulation has become a major concern for our world. As well as worrying about how to feed this number of people, now at 7.2 billion, overpopulation is adding to our ever changing and dangerous weather patterns. Over 95% of the world population increase is taking place in the Developing Countries. No Government or serious World authority seem willing or able to consider the implications of this continuing overpopulation, and indeed the consequences for mankind's future, while humans increase dramatically with each passing day. I have written a book 'Depopulate' published on Amazon Books which might be of interest to you. This book, while a work of fiction, contains many facts, which show the population explosion, where it is greatest, and many other relevant matters. It contains quotes from prominent writers and others, past and present, who were concerned about the human failure to do anything about the overpopulation issue. Perhaps 'Depopulate' could be seen as a warning to us all, of what could happen, if we do not take some form of dramatic and urgent action, and soon!!
One can not give a very clear answer. There are pro’s (human rights treaties, pity, prosperity, demographic shifts, justice, economic considerations) versus cons (consumption, depletion, conflict, migration).
The synthesis to this dilemma is simulation. WE should enter data in to a simulation which renders stress points. I believe personally we are actually very close to rather severe stress points (in particular in developing countries) and we will soon face an onslaught of popular dissatisfaction with population stress. First people will try blame overpopulation on externals, but we will soon move beyond racism (et.al) in to population and reproduction quota, right after ever more severe phobia on refugee streams.
In large part how we will deal with overpopulation will be a *negative* supply and demand market. The reverse of supply and demand can be labelled something like “misery and undesired”, or otherwise “problems and force”. Supply is something which indicates affluence, surplus, freedom. Th reverse of these is misery, scarcity, constraint. The reverse of demand would be something like hassle. laws, authority, state us of force, i.e. stuff we need to do to save us from worse.
So in essence the future will be about something no Libertarian wants to acknowledge, i.e. the suffering of constraints and the institutional misery we get to suffer (or have a state inflict on us) because there is little other solution.
Over the last century, the world’s population quadrupled and fears of overpopulation flared, with baby booms blamed for genocide and terrorism, and overpopulation singled out as the primary factor driving global warming.
Yet, surprisingly, it appears that the population explosion is past its peak—by mid-century, the world’s population will be declining for the first time in over seven hundred years.
In The Coming Population Crash, veteran environmental writer Fred Pearce reveals the dynamics behind this dramatic shift and describes the environmental, social, and economic effects of our surprising demographic future.
The very word “overpopulation” reflects hidden misanthropy. While we all may just use it to describe current demographic issues is some African regions, we as transhumanists should take care not to replicate this misanthropic meme. We should invent other more accurate descriptions for what is actually irrational distribution of human resources. It’s not people who are the source of poverty, hunger, ignorance, etc., not even their number. It’s the fact they are born too early - earlier than their mothers get education, skills and money to raise them more safely, along with all people of their countries who should rather spend their time and money for development, not for producing lots of children before they get out of poverty.
In other words, it’s a matter of time.
And here we transhumanists could come and say, don’t hurry with childbirths now, we have life extension for you so you can prolong your youth and your abilities. And meanwhile go learn something and develop your country, clean up social and environmental issues, etc.
In this way life extension is viewed not as a problem, but as a solution to what “overpopulation” really is - lack of development required for new people.
“Overpopulation” is abused as an umbrella term that covers both current African etc. demographic issues (which, as we see, can and will be solved not “despite” life extension but rather thanks to it!) and the Malthusian misanthropic myth about the future. We should make a clear distinction between one and another and insist that African troubles have nothing to do with people living longer or aging later - but strictly vice versa.
Those who blame us for our optimistic views on tomorrow as “overpopulation denial” are in fact demographic transition denialists. Tomorrow is not today. We are not denying current issues. And even our most optimistic long-term visions of abundance should not be viewed as a reason for not helping people today. Rather they can and should be used as effective motivation for people to develop and overcome their prejudices.
So what we should do today is to seek ways to involve “overpopulating” people of the developing world in education, science and long-term future visions, including biomedical revolution and life extention. So that their demographic transition would accelerate (and that won’t mean 5.6 billion by 2100 - even if we easily support them all with abundant tech, let their parents take more time in 21st century to themselves).
eople are not always a “resource” - adding 4 billion humans to the planet and cheering this as “Human Capital” is extremely naive.
People are “resourceful” IF they are fed well, provided with medicine, excellent education, and stable economies and governments where they can thrive.
Starving, sick, uneducated billions living in dysfunctional states… relying solely on transhumanist optimism - a “head in the sand” approach - this is not strategy, and it is not intelligent.
Human beings generally perform best when in a secure environment. Children perform best and have fewer problems in a stable home. Economic anxiety and apprehension about the future directly impact birth rates, negatively.
It's no wonder that young people are hesitant to marry and have children, as people above them in the economic food chain ship jobs overseas. This shouldn't be a shock to anyone.
Our forefathers recognized that parents of child bearing age rarely have accumulated the economic resources to afford to educate their children, so they implemented (what today would be viewed as a redistributionist, marxist set of) tax policies so people would be encouraged to have children when they're in perhaps the healthiest part of their lives, their 20s and 30s.
If society is really concerned about falling birth rates, conditions need to be more favorable for young adults to feel greater economic security. Those at the upper end of the economic food chain seem far more sharply focused on maximizing profit, minimizing costs - and moving good jobs out of the country, in the process. Presto! Economic anxiety for young adults.
Overpopulation is Such a Big Issue.. Awareness is needed ..
ReplyDeleteBirth Rate should be in Control..Nice Topic
Overpopulation has become a major concern for our world. As well as worrying about how to feed this number of people, now at 7.2 billion, overpopulation is adding to our ever changing and dangerous weather patterns. Over 95% of the world population increase is taking place in the Developing Countries. No Government or serious World authority seem willing or able to consider the implications of this continuing overpopulation, and indeed the consequences for mankind's future, while humans increase dramatically with each passing day. I have written a book 'Depopulate'
ReplyDeletepublished on Amazon Books which might be of interest to you. This book, while a
work of fiction, contains many facts, which show the population explosion,
where it is greatest, and many other relevant matters. It contains quotes from
prominent writers and others, past and present, who were concerned about the
human failure to do anything about the overpopulation issue. Perhaps 'Depopulate' could be seen as a warning to us all, of what could happen, if we do not take some form of dramatic and urgent action, and soon!!
One can not give a very clear answer. There are pro’s (human rights treaties, pity, prosperity, demographic shifts, justice, economic considerations) versus cons (consumption, depletion, conflict, migration).
ReplyDeleteThe synthesis to this dilemma is simulation. WE should enter data in to a simulation which renders stress points. I believe personally we are actually very close to rather severe stress points (in particular in developing countries) and we will soon face an onslaught of popular dissatisfaction with population stress. First people will try blame overpopulation on externals, but we will soon move beyond racism (et.al) in to population and reproduction quota, right after ever more severe phobia on refugee streams.
In large part how we will deal with overpopulation will be a *negative* supply and demand market. The reverse of supply and demand can be labelled something like “misery and undesired”, or otherwise “problems and force”. Supply is something which indicates affluence, surplus, freedom. Th reverse of these is misery, scarcity, constraint. The reverse of demand would be something like hassle. laws, authority, state us of force, i.e. stuff we need to do to save us from worse.
So in essence the future will be about something no Libertarian wants to acknowledge, i.e. the suffering of constraints and the institutional misery we get to suffer (or have a state inflict on us) because there is little other solution.
Are you aware of the following?
ReplyDeleteOver the last century, the world’s population quadrupled and fears of overpopulation flared, with baby booms blamed for genocide and terrorism, and overpopulation singled out as the primary factor driving global warming.
Yet, surprisingly, it appears that the population explosion is past its peak—by mid-century, the world’s population will be declining for the first time in over seven hundred years.
In The Coming Population Crash, veteran environmental writer Fred Pearce reveals the dynamics behind this dramatic shift and describes the environmental, social, and economic effects of our surprising demographic future.
The very word “overpopulation” reflects hidden misanthropy. While we all may just use it to describe current demographic issues is some African regions, we as transhumanists should take care not to replicate this misanthropic meme. We should invent other more accurate descriptions for what is actually irrational distribution of human resources. It’s not people who are the source of poverty, hunger, ignorance, etc., not even their number. It’s the fact they are born too early - earlier than their mothers get education, skills and money to raise them more safely, along with all people of their countries who should rather spend their time and money for development, not for producing lots of children before they get out of poverty.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, it’s a matter of time.
And here we transhumanists could come and say, don’t hurry with childbirths now, we have life extension for you so you can prolong your youth and your abilities. And meanwhile go learn something and develop your country, clean up social and environmental issues, etc.
In this way life extension is viewed not as a problem, but as a solution to what “overpopulation” really is - lack of development required for new people.
“Overpopulation” is abused as an umbrella term that covers both current African etc. demographic issues (which, as we see, can and will be solved not “despite” life extension but rather thanks to it!) and the Malthusian misanthropic myth about the future. We should make a clear distinction between one and another and insist that African troubles have nothing to do with people living longer or aging later - but strictly vice versa.
Those who blame us for our optimistic views on tomorrow as “overpopulation denial” are in fact demographic transition denialists. Tomorrow is not today. We are not denying current issues. And even our most optimistic long-term visions of abundance should not be viewed as a reason for not helping people today. Rather they can and should be used as effective motivation for people to develop and overcome their prejudices.
So what we should do today is to seek ways to involve “overpopulating” people of the developing world in education, science and long-term future visions, including biomedical revolution and life extention. So that their demographic transition would accelerate (and that won’t mean 5.6 billion by 2100 - even if we easily support them all with abundant tech, let their parents take more time in 21st century to themselves).
eople are not always a “resource” - adding 4 billion humans to the planet and cheering this as “Human Capital” is extremely naive.
ReplyDeletePeople are “resourceful” IF they are fed well, provided with medicine, excellent education, and stable economies and governments where they can thrive.
Starving, sick, uneducated billions living in dysfunctional states… relying solely on transhumanist optimism - a “head in the sand” approach - this is not strategy, and it is not intelligent.
Human beings generally perform best when in a secure environment. Children perform best and have fewer problems in a stable home. Economic anxiety and apprehension about the future directly impact birth rates, negatively.
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder that young people are hesitant to marry and have children, as people above them in the economic food chain ship jobs overseas. This shouldn't be a shock to anyone.
Our forefathers recognized that parents of child bearing age rarely have accumulated the economic resources to afford to educate their children, so they implemented (what today would be viewed as a redistributionist, marxist set of) tax policies so people would be encouraged to have children when they're in perhaps the healthiest part of their lives, their 20s and 30s.
If society is really concerned about falling birth rates, conditions need to be more favorable for young adults to feel greater economic security. Those at the upper end of the economic food chain seem far more sharply focused on maximizing profit, minimizing costs - and moving good jobs out of the country, in the process. Presto! Economic anxiety for young adults.
This isn't rocket science.