6.3.2 Population Growth
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6.3.2 Population Growth and Carrying Capacity
How does globalization affect the environment?
Population growth: With prosperity comes improved health care, lower infant mortality rates, and longer life expectancies. This leads to greater population growth. The world's population reached the one billion mark in 1804, and now stands at over six billion people.
The current world rate of growth is 1.1% per year. According to some predictions, it could reach 16 billion people by the year 2100. The more people who live on this planet, the greater the effect on the environment. Can the planet support 16 billion people — more than double the number of people who live on it today? Right now, the planet produces enough food and water to nourish everyone, but it is not equally distributed. What about the future?
Do rich nations have higher rates of growth? You might think that wealthy nations and wealthy families would have the most children because they can best afford to provide for them. Actually, the wealthier industrialized nations have lower rates of growth. Canada has a growth rate of just over one per cent, and some European countries have shrinking populations.
The developing world has 99% of the global population increase. Several countries are on a growth curve that will lead to their population doubling (Nigeria) or even tripling (Ethiopia) in 2050. These areas can least afford the increase in population. Not only are they already overcrowded, but they lack the water, the arable land, the infrastructure, and the finances to increase food production.
Waves of increased population growth occur after times of great hardship such as wars, famines, and revolutions. For instance, the generation born right after World War II referred to as the "baby boomers" are a big bump in the world's population.
The current world rate of growth is 1.1% per year. According to some predictions, it could reach 16 billion people by the year 2100. The more people who live on this planet, the greater the effect on the environment. Can the planet support 16 billion people — more than double the number of people who live on it today? Right now, the planet produces enough food and water to nourish everyone, but it is not equally distributed. What about the future?
Do rich nations have higher rates of growth? You might think that wealthy nations and wealthy families would have the most children because they can best afford to provide for them. Actually, the wealthier industrialized nations have lower rates of growth. Canada has a growth rate of just over one per cent, and some European countries have shrinking populations.
The developing world has 99% of the global population increase. Several countries are on a growth curve that will lead to their population doubling (Nigeria) or even tripling (Ethiopia) in 2050. These areas can least afford the increase in population. Not only are they already overcrowded, but they lack the water, the arable land, the infrastructure, and the finances to increase food production.
Waves of increased population growth occur after times of great hardship such as wars, famines, and revolutions. For instance, the generation born right after World War II referred to as the "baby boomers" are a big bump in the world's population.
Family planning: The governments of many nations have been concerned with unchecked population growth. Uncontrolled population growth has a negative effect. They fear that food supplies will be insufficient and that the economy will suffer. That is, standards of living will diminish because of sharing limited resources with increasing numbers of people. Countries such as China have enforced a "one child policy" that has forced families to have only one child. Countries such as India have increased family planning education and access to birth control.
The education of women is a primary reason many nations have been able to control their population growth. When women have control over reproduction, they tend to have fewer children.
Carrying capacity is ability of a particular area to support life. Does the earth have a carrying capacity for human beings? Human beings are unique in the ability to modify the environment and improve technology for food and energy production. Unlike animals, we also do not consume resources based on our essential needs. People in the developed world consume food, water, and energy at far greater rates than those in the developing world. In fact, people in the developed world consume far more resources than they really need to survive.
Globalization makes determining the earth's carrying capacity difficult because people use resources from around the world. However, most ecologists believe that our current rate of population growth and resource use is not sustainable.
If we want an Earth on which everyone was able to live like we do in North America, the earth could sustain only half its current population. On the other hand, if we want to reduce our standard of living and reduce biodiversity, we can sustain a larger population.
The education of women is a primary reason many nations have been able to control their population growth. When women have control over reproduction, they tend to have fewer children.
Carrying capacity is ability of a particular area to support life. Does the earth have a carrying capacity for human beings? Human beings are unique in the ability to modify the environment and improve technology for food and energy production. Unlike animals, we also do not consume resources based on our essential needs. People in the developed world consume food, water, and energy at far greater rates than those in the developing world. In fact, people in the developed world consume far more resources than they really need to survive.
Globalization makes determining the earth's carrying capacity difficult because people use resources from around the world. However, most ecologists believe that our current rate of population growth and resource use is not sustainable.
If we want an Earth on which everyone was able to live like we do in North America, the earth could sustain only half its current population. On the other hand, if we want to reduce our standard of living and reduce biodiversity, we can sustain a larger population.