October 14, 2005
Population Growth and Global Effects
Interpretation
The world population has been on the rise for many decades now, and will continue to rise until the approximated year of 2050 when global population will begin to turn into an S curve, a curve that the rate of growth is rapid and then the growth rate declines. This produces a curve that appears as an S, due to a slow start, rapid growth, then leveling.[1] The population increase will continue to reduce the earth’s resources, and consumption rates will rise, causing more waste products and other harmful environmental problems, including global warming.
Analysis
Throughout civilization, there have been many diseases and pandemics that controlled population by wiping away millions of people at a time in intervals. Today, in developed countries, humans are able to control their own death rates[2], thus helping to contribute to the control of population, but the rest of the world continues to suffer. Theorists have estimated growths of between 40% and 72% in at least six countries: China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria;[3] the current world population is over 6 billion and increases at a rate of 76,570,430 people every year.[4] These continued growths will greatly affect the earth as we know it, and leave an overwhelming amount of inconsistencies for future generations to come.
According to the Student Atlas of World Politics, the world population density in the Middle East and East Asia are comprised of a majority of between 150 – 300 people per square mile, compared to between 0 – 25 in the United States.[5] This is a growing problem because the people in these countries are having shortages in their food supply and poverty is exceptionally high. There are at least 840 million people who are “chronically hungry… [and] they are not getting enough food to achieve full physical and mental development and to maintain adequate levels of physical activity.”[6]
Evaluation
The sources referred to in this paper are all academic sources used by the university, or government sponsored, including the sited web pages. There may be errors in the interpretation of the data and the assumptions that come with the interpretations.
Inference
The world as a whole should help each other and control the ever growing population. It is only right that we take the future into consideration, and make sure that future generations are able to have the resources and the environment healthy enough to survive.
Explanation
Population growth will lead to increases in consumption. This growing consumption will then lead to more waste products which have a great effect on the environment. There are not enough resources to continually produce products and have the byproducts. The earth must be taken care of because the future is at stake.
Self-regulation
Of course there would be bias in this paper because against the world, I am living in very high standards. I do not understand or grasp what underdeveloped and developing countries are going through to have such dramatic populations. I am lucky to be where I am, and although I want the world to be a better place, there is a lot of work to do, and at times I am skeptical about the future and what it has in store for us.
[1] “definition of s curve.” Last updated: 2005. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&oi=defmore&defl=en&q=define:S+curve last consulted: 13 October 2005.
[4]“Negative Population Growth.” Last updated: unknown . http://www.npg.org/ Last consulted: 13 October 2005.
[5] Allen, John L. and Elizabeth J. Leppman. Student Atlas of World Politics. McGraw-Hill: USA, 2004. p. 14-15.
[6] Brown, Lester B. Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. W.W. Norton & Company: New York, 2003. p.86.
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