The Human Population Explosion on a Finite Planet - Assignment Example

The human population explosion on a finite planet: is there a limit to limitless growth? Introduction Accordingto the explanation of Malthuss human population grows exponentially but the important resources like foods and environment grows in an arithmetic rate. He also added that the power of human population is so superior that it creates unnecessary pressure on the important resources of the world. High population growth is not at all a new phenomenon. Its presence was significantly high in the ancient history also. In 1798 Thomas Malthuss published a popular essay of Principle of Population. Over the years it has become a matter of concern for the global fraternity. Various experts across the world have talked about that the finite world cannot sustain indefinite population growth with the help of definite resources. According to the speculation of the ecologists, there is a finite capacity that the world can carry. It is popularly known as the carrying capacity. The essay will try to analyze how the increasing human population can fit into the finite planet and is there any end of the growth of human population. Discussion The whole essay will be done on the basis of various secondary resources. According to Bryant, exponential growth of human population has already captured or degraded significant lands on the planet. He has told that with the increasing human population, requirements of the land have increased significantly. Till now human population has encroached 39-50% of the global land area and the number is increasing. Human population uses 8% of the primary productivity of oceans. Here comes the worrying factor because needs and requirements of the human being is rising like anything but with that increasing situation natural resources are not increasing that much. Increasing human population for the sake of their own interests has created environmental degradation significantly. Till date human being has contributed 30% of the CO2 concentration in the global atmosphere (Naam, 2013, pp. 67-72). This high CO2 concentration has contributed lots of issues for the human health. But unfortunately human being has not tried enough to curve this menace. Over the year human being kept on piling up population without considering the environmental effects (Nadakavukaren, 2011, pp. 45-48). This has made the situation even worst. Surface water is also an important natural resource that the global population using extensively. Increasing human population has already used up half of the global accessible surface water. It is a dangerous trend for the human civilization and for the future of human being. According to a survey report, with the increasing population, needs and demands of the human being are also varying and increasing. But natural resources are not increasing in that rate. All these kinds of imbalances between the human population growth and the finite global resources have created lots of problems like, food shortages, lung diseases and etc (Suzuki & Hanington, 2012, pp. 78-82). Exponential growth in human population has increased the demands for the food items. But natural resources have certain limitations. It is being observed that to meet the increasing food demands of the global human being, people has to come up with artificial ways to grow the crops by using fertilisers and chemicals (McKee, 2005, pp. 56-59). It has created lots of health hazards for the human being. There is no sign of end to this limit less growth of human population. Fixation of terrestrial nitrogen is also an important factor or matter of concern. It creates significant pressure on the finite capacity of the world. According to a research report, 50% of the terrestrial nitrogen fixation is the result of the various human activities (Davies, 2013, pp. 90-95). All these activities are integral parts of the human lives and create utter pressure on the finite global resources. Here comes the concept of Malthusian catastrophe. According to this concept, population growth has outperformed the agricultural growth significantly and there is no sign of the improving situation. Most of the earth surface, almost 70% of the total earth surface is covered by the oceans. That is why it has significant contribution towards the total fundamental productivity. But population explosion in last 200 years has exploited this natural resource significantly (Jackson, 2011, pp. 56-59). Most of the time in last 200 years human being has not been able to come up with enough alternative resources but they have used the existing resources significantly. Here comes the scope of pessimist model. According to this model, with the human explosion carrying capacity of the finite plant is under serious threat (Faucci & Marchionatti, 2010, pp. 78-81). From the beginning of human civilization till now human being has tried to improve their living conditions. To improve their living conditions human being has always used up the finite natural resources recklessly (Guillebaud, 2014). In this way carrying capacity of earth has come under serious threats. It has made the future of human being highly uncertain. Pessimistic model of Malthusian is highly regarded by the global fraternity. The model is simple and credible enough. According to Paul Erlich, if the population growth carries on like this then in future many people in the world has to have to starve till death (Daly & Farley, 2011, pp. 67-71). He also added that there is no other way to stop this future issue apart from the population control. According to a report 22% of the global marine fisheries are overexploited by the human being. This is a serious matter of concern for the environmental stability. The trend is far way from a closure as 44% of the global marine fisheries are on the verge of over exploitation. Population exposition leads to the significant rate of habitat loss (VSP, 2008). It also creates global environmental pollutions. According to the survey of The Olympian, more than 200,000 new people are there in this finite earth today than the previous days. The trend will remain same in future also. According to the study of United Nations, global population grows 80 million per year. So all these documents are clearly suggesting that explosion of human population is a continuous thing and there is no limit for this limitless growth. Highly populated countries like India and China are trying to control their population but the effort has not been effective that much. According to the report of United Nations, currently global population growth rate is 9,100 per hour (The Olympian, 2014). Their researches have shown that by 2050, yearly global population growth rate will increase by 10billion. It is not at all a sign of limiting population. This increasing trend will be a significant threat for the finite natural resources of the planet. It can be a potential threat for the carrying capacity of the finite planet. Out of control growth of human population causes lots of problems related with climate change (Mosey, 2009, pp. 34-38). It causes significant environmental problems which are very difficult to control. One thing is clear that finite world has certain limitations in its carrying capacity; it cannot carry infinite population growth by any means. According to a survey, one thing is clear that infinite population explosion is causing extensive usage of finite global resources (Heinberg, 2014). Currently global human population is exploiting the natural resources 1.8 times faster than the finite global resources can be regenerated. It is an alarming sign and the situation is getting worst day by day. Population explosion is comprehensively detrimental for the global environment. As the living standards of the global population are increasing finite resources of the planet are also getting exploited. Ever-increasing trends of global human population are over utilizing the limited resources. This over utilization of the finite global resource can lead to dangerous consequences for the future generations. All the above discussions and facts are clearly indicating that human population explosion is a consistent matter which has significant negative impacts on the finite environmental resources. There is hardly any limit to this limitless growth. On the other hand natural resources are shrinking day by day due to the overexploitation created by the population explosion. Conclusion Over exploitation of anything is not at all desirable. But infinite population explosion has resulted into that thing only. The above essay is clearly indicating that population explosion is consistent like anything and there is very little sign of controlling this thing. The essay has categorically indicated that planate has finite carrying capacity. But population growth rate is infinite in nature. So there is a significant imbalance between the global natural resources and the ever-increasing population. During the course of this essay one thing is clear that infinite population explosion is a serious matter of concern for the human being. Human being is over exploiting natural resources for meeting their day to day needs and demands. All the above discussions and arguments are clearly indicating that, resources of the planet are finite but growth of the human population is infinite this discrepancy creates lots of problems for human being and also posses lots future threats. There is no sign of limit to this limitless growth. References Bryant, P. J. (2002). Biodiversity and Conservation. 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