Overpopulation in the United States - Essay Example

Running Head: OVERPOPULATION IN THE UNITED S Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts Overpopulation in the United States Abstract The world population is growing in many ways. Though there are scarce resources around the globe, still the population is on a continuous rise for the past few years. There is overcrowding in many regions and the countries are struggling to produce the sufficient resources in order to meet the needs of common people. One such country is United States, which is subject to overpopulation and overcrowding followed by China and India. At present, the population of United States is more than 265 million, and it is further growing each year by 2.5 million people. This makes the US one of the fastest growing nations in the line of industrialized nations in the world. This overpopulation has caused various problems in the country, such as scarcity of resources, environmental issues, and economic consequences. Moreover, the problem of overcrowding also presents lack of education, and other issues which might cause troubles for the humanity. It is anticipated that by the year 2050, the population of the nation will be increased by around 130 million people, which is nearly equivalent to the addition of four more states the size of California. This study presents a detailed research on the topic of overpopulation in the United States. It undertakes to consult various resources, publications and databases to obtain information regarding the subject at hand. The causes of overpopulation are considered along with an elaborated discussion on the effects and consequences of the issue. Overpopulation in the United States The concept of overpopulation in not new to the current world and has been debated upon much by the researchers and authors. The definition of the term “overpopulation” is generally given by the writers as a commonly adverse and detrimental context in which the number of organisms goes beyond carrying capacity of its environment (Ian, 2007). This terminology generally pertains to the association between the two variables: environment and human population. The environment can either refer to a small geographical area or entire earth. During the past few years, the population in the United States has increased by more than double. It is said that if the population of the world in the coming century is multiplied by the same amount, there shall be more than one billion people around the globe. This increasing population, in turn, affects many features which include the negative contribution to the beauty of land, forests, environment and the entire ecosystem. Then, the social problems such as increasing attention in schools and lack of teachers also occur. Due to the overcrowding factor around the globe, more and more natural resources are subject to depletion at a very fast rate. Besides these few examples, there are various other signs, which need to be considered in order to implement policies and laws regarding the regulation of increasing population expansion. Although the population growth rate has been on a decline since the 1980s, there are concerns expressed by the United Nations over the persistent and extreme growth in the population of sub-Saharan Africa (BBC News, 2011). According to the statistics presented by the United States Census Bureau on June 7, 2012, the human population of the world is estimated to reach the mark of 7.018 billion, and United Nations has predicted the entire population to go even beyond the mark of 7 billion. Moreover, it is expected that by the year 2040, the population will reach between 8 and 10.5 billion (US Census Bureau, 2011). The population is on a constant rise in the United States and many other parts of the world. It is anticipated that by the year 2050, the population of the nation will be increased by around 130 million people, which is nearly equivalent to the addition of four more states the size of California. The major contribution towards the population growth in the country is the fact that more than 40% of births and 60% of pregnancies in the country happen without intention and the fact remains that the United States is one of the nations having the highest rate of teenage pregnancy (Joyce, 1998). There are various reasons for the increasing overpopulation in the United States as well as the entire world. One of the major causes in the increasing overpopulation is the fall in the mortality rate. Due to the advancements and improvements in the field of medicine, the human being has been able to find the cure and prevention for the diseases which were previously incurable. Due to the new innovations in medicine, most dreadful diseases can be cured now, thus increasing the individuals’ life expectancy and decline in the death rate. The good point is that the mankind is able to cure the dreadful diseases; however, on the other hand, it also contributes towards overpopulation (Manali, n.d.). Similar to the discoveries in science and lowering birth rate, there have also been innovations and advancements in order to increase the fertility of human beings. The medicines of the current era can improve and enhance the rate of productivity and aid in the conception and its problems. Thus, in one way, it is a blessing; however, in the other way, the discoveries of science can cause burdens for the society. Immigration is the major issue in various parts of the world. It happens when the dwellers of one place go and settle in other parts of the world; that particular region is bound to suffer from the adverse effects of overpopulation. Thus, overcrowding has resulted in population imbalances in United States and many other parts of the world. One of the fundamental causes of the overpopulation these days is the widespread illiteracy in various parts of the world. There are people who do not have sufficient education which can enable them to understand the requirements to prevent the excessive population growth from the world. They are unaware of the harms that might be caused by the dangerous threats posed by the overcrowding. Moreover, they also lack knowledge regarding family planning and are ignorant towards all such issues related to the managing of their families. If we look at the issue of overpopulation and overcrowding in an optimistic manner, we come to the conclusions that an increase in the human population, in turn, means an increase in the human resources and the productive hands to contribute to the economy. However, we still cannot ignore the fact that the increasing population would also imply an increase in the number of consumers, which would require more consumption and thus, more resources. The concept of overpopulation is becoming very common in the present day world. At present, the population of United States is more than 265 million, and it is further growing each year by 2.5 million people. This makes the US one of the fastest growing nations in the line of industrialized nations in the world. Many environmental, social and economic problems are emerging due to the fact that the countries are overcrowded with people. One of the biggest issues that are on the rise due to the increasing population and crowding includes the issue of global warming. The increasing production in order to provide the people with food and other necessities has doubled the industrial activity. Due to this, too many chemicals are being pumped out of the industry and the problem of global warming is created. This environmental issue is creating climatic changes and is causing the ozone layer to malfunction. The consumption of energy, food, clothing and other basic necessities need sufficient production, and these burdens up the environment of the region. Pollution and deforestation may destroy the natural surroundings and result in the devastating impacts upon the human and animal population across the globe. In the entire developed world, the United States is the country having the largest population, and it is also the only developed nation which is experiencing the most significantly growing population trends. The country is anticipated to double in population before the next century begins. The 300 million inhabitants residing all around US are consistently producing the greenhouse gases at a per-capita rate, which is five times when compared with the global average and more than twice that of Europe. Comparing it to the developing world, the average for United States stands at over ten times the original rate. The contribution of the U.S. greenhouse gas is being created by a catastrophic blend of the significant growth, high population, and significant growth, along with rising and massive levels of consumption. Moreover, there has been a lack of political will to end our fossil-fuel addiction. The scarcity of oil and gas and the increasing air and water pollution are indeed posing risk to the environment of the country. There has been a dramatic rise in the rate of asthma and other fatal diseases. More than a billion people all over the world do not have proper access to the facility of clean drinking water, sanitation and agriculture. Moreover, there is a faster depletion of the aquifers than their replenishment, and the melting of the glaciers due to the increasing global warming is posing serious threats of flooding and water shortage. The problem of overpopulation presents serious concerns for the basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. The demands of the rising population are not met by the available resources. There is only 3% of water on the planet that is potable and therefore, there are millions of people who face the lack of water on this planet. Besides this, there is a serious shrinkage of the land which is available for the cultivation of food, thus leading to a decrease in the quantity of crops produced within a particular time period. Thus, if there is an increase in population and a decrease in the crop produced simultaneously, then the people might have to die of hunger. There are various countries which may face hindrance in carrying out the waste management programs due to the amount of waste produced by them. Poor hygiene and untreated waste is most likely to result in the spread of dangerous diseases. In such a context, the health and hygiene resources available to such a large population will not be sufficient enough to match the needs of the vast population in case an epidemic arises. Thus, the death rate will increase and will wipe out the population. The overpopulation is even causing education facilities to suffer as the overcrowding in local and foreign schools has compelled them to accommodate more students and faculty than they are capable of. For instance, the overcrowded schools in California, at present, are enrolling more than 5 times the number of students that they were established and built to serve (UCLA/IDEA, 2003). The overpopulation has led to overcrowding, poor planning, lack of educational resources and infrastructure and shortage of many other facilities in United States and across the entire globe. This is, in turn, leading to increasing costs for the arrangement of additional resources either from the country or abroad. In the past few years, the United States has countered the quadrupled population within the region and it is still on the rise. In order to resolve the issue and organize it in a better manner, the country has divided the context into two categories. At present, the United States does not possess any formal policy for population. However, it intends to work upon the betterment of the education system, which, if not paid attention to, might bring bad outcomes. The people of the country are supposed to go ahead in order to take corrective actions for the change and improvement of curriculum policies. Moreover, the local and federal governments plan upon instituting aggressive education regarding the family planning process. According to the legislations, the social correction actions and education are planned and lower birth control is to be distributed in the society. Moreover, it is formulated that the steps linked to the economic growth have to be taken in order to pay more attention towards the needs of the existing and increasing population. There are external forces affecting the population trends adversely. One of them is illegal immigration. Many research studies suggest that a large number of illegal immigrants enter the United States each year. This may force the momentum of economic growth in the country to come to a halt. Moreover, there is more likely to be severe scarcity of the healthcare services, educational facilities and a massive fall in the living standards of the people. Besides this, the problem of overpopulation can also possibly affect the biodiversity elements of the society. The government of United States is seriously lacking the reinforcements in these areas, the outcome of which is the population explosion at the mass level. The problem of overpopulation has taken toll these days. The world population is increasing at an exponential rate with the passage of time causing many challenges and problems for the people. United States stands third in the list of the most populous countries after China and India. Just like other overcrowded countries, the US is also in the phase of undergoing consequences and issues regarding education and health climatic conditions. The increase in the birth rate, declining death rate and higher rate of migration contribute to the rising population. Thus, the country needs to formulate policies which would help it solve the issues of population explosion in the region. References Abma, Joyce. (1998). Contraceptive use and teenage sexual and reproductive behavior, facts in brief, national center for health statistics. Centers for Disease Control. BBC News. (2011). Population seven billion: UN sets out challenges. BBC News World. Retrieved on June 7, 2012. Oak, Manali. (n.d.). Causes of overpopulation. Retrieved on June 7, 2012.Sample, Ian. (2007). Global food crisis looms as climate change and population growth strip fertile land. Guardian. Retrieved on June 7, 2012. UCLA/IDEA. (2003). Overcrowding in California’s Schools. UCLA’s Institute of Democracy, Education and Access. Retrieved on June 7, 2012. U.S. Census Bureau. (1995). U.S. Census Bureaus population profile of the United States. Retrieved on June 7, 2012. US Census Bureau. (2011). International Data Base (IDB) – World Population. US Department of Commerce. Retrieved on June 7, 2012. Read More