Population Growth and Degradation of Environment - Essay Example

There is a very close relationship between biodiversity loss and human population growth. Quite simply, the more people there are, the more we push aside wild plants and animals. As our population has grown, other species have had to adapt to living in confined reserves or enclaves, lest they go extinct. But over the planet as a whole, there are fewer chances for species to survive as we continue to increase our numbers so dramatically, with a net gain of over 200,000 people every day (U.S. Census Bureau). "Population growth seems to affect everything but is seldom held responsible for anything," (Charles West off, 1997). In our case this is because the relationship between human population growth and wildlife extinctions is not always direct. We are a species with an insatiable appetite for resources, and we sometimes use them irresponsibly. Thus, it could be argued, what we do and how we survive may be more important to our impact on other species than the simple effect of our great numbers. Thus we need solid evidence to establish that, over the broad sweep of time, there is a close tie between the simple count of people on the planet and the diminishing count of other species. In other words, the impact of our large population would be great even if we were to behave differently. If there is such a link, then it is particularly frightening, for there are now over six billion people on the planet. Nature has been "comparatively sparing" in the space and resources necessary to support both wildlife and a human population. Malthus was the economist who warned us in 1798 that the human population would grow more quickly than the resources necessary to sustain it. Now I know that Malthus and his ideas have been much maligned over the years by optimists who see no problem with human population growth. Thus in 1998, the two hundredth anniversary of his publication went almost without notice. The following year, the milestone number of A.D. 2000 got much more press than another milestone number: six billion, the number the human population reached sometime midway through the year. Granted, both are arbitrary numbers. But to a few of us concerned scientists, the population milestone was far more frightening than the computer glitches predicted for "Y2K." Y2K had almost no effect; the six billion figure has a lasting and growing impact. Yet few people noticed the milestone, and even fewer cared. Human population growth is outstripping resources, especially as it relates to the sustainability of earth's biodiversity. As Ohio novelist and conservationist Louis Bromfield put it in 1947, "The bitter truth is that we are having our noses rubbed in Malthusian theory." It is even truer today than it was then, for our population Human population growth is outstripping resources, especially as it relates to the sustainability of earth's biodiversity. As Ohio novelist and conservationist Louis Bromfield put it in 1947, "The bitter truth is that we are having our noses rubbed in Malthusian theory". It is even truer today than it was then, for our population size has since doubled. Many of the world's population live in poor countries already strained by food insecurity; inadequate sanitation, water supplies and housing; and an inability to meet the basic needs of the current population. These same countries are also among the fastest growing places in the world. A large proportion of these populations are supported through subsistence agriculture. As populations grow, competition for fertile land and the use of limited resources increases. The people living in these countries are also moving toward a greater standard of living, perhaps matching the lifestyles of the more developed countries whose current consumption patterns and resource use are not necessarily sustainable. Quite simply, if we want to conserve biodiversity on earth, the most important conservation measure we can take is to slow or halt the growth of the human population. Frankly, a reduction in numbers from six billion may even be desirable. Now don't get me wrong-I truly value the conservation efforts that go on today, and that contribute toward such goals. But if our human population continues to grow, then even the most ardent conservation efforts of today may be for naught. If nature is our "mother," as is sometimes said, then surely she is like the busy soccer mom who totes her children to practice while doing much more than they can, at their age, appreciate. Nature too labors through countless thankless jobs that we take for granted with childlike innocence. Biodiversity plays an integral role in everything from climate management to erosion control. Although the systems are complex, it is time we learned the rules of the game. The world's population has doubled during the last half century, climbing from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 5.9 billion in 1998. This unprecedented surge in population, combined with rising individual consumption, is pushing our claims on the planet beyond its natural limits. The United Nations projected that human population in 2050 will range between 7.7 billion and 11.2 billion people. We use the United Nations' middle-level projection of 9.4 billion (from World Population Prospects: The 1996 Revision) to give an idea of the strain this "most likely" outcome would place on ecosystems and governments in the future and of the urgent need to break from the business-as-usual scenario. ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES Natural Recreation Areas From Buenos Aires to Bangkok, dramatic population growth in the world's major cities - and the sprawl and pollution they bring - threaten natural recreation areas that lie beyond city limits. On every continent, human encroachment has reduced both the size and the quality of natural recreation areas. In nations where rapid population growth has outstripped the carrying capacity of local resources, protected areas become especially vulnerable. Although in industrial nations these areas are synonymous with camping, hiking, and picnics in the country, in Asia, Africa, and Latin America most national parks, forests, and preserves are inhabited or used for natural resources by local populations. Migration-driven population growth also endangers natural recreation areas in many industrial nations. Everglades National Park, for example, faces collapse as millions of newcomers move into southern Florida. Longer waiting lists and higher user fees for fewer secluded spots are likely to be the tip of the iceberg, as population growth threatens to eliminate the diversity of habitats and cultures, in addition to the peace and quiet, that protected areas currently offer. Forests Global losses of forest area have marched in step with population growth for much of human history, but an estimated 75% of the loss in global forests has occurred in the twentieth century. In Latin America, ranching is the single largest cause of deforestation. In addition, overgrazing and over-collection of firewood - which are often a function of growing population - are degrading 14% of the world's remaining large areas of virgin forest. Deforestation created by the demand for forest products tracks closely with rising per capita consumption in recent decades. Global use of paper and paperboard per person has doubled (or nearly tripled) since 1961. The loss of forest areas leads to a decline of forest services. These include habitat for wildlife; carbon storage, which is a key to regulating climate; and erosion control, provision of water across rainy and dry seasons, and regulation of rainfall. Biodiversity We live amid the greatest extinction of plant and animal life since the dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, with species losses at 100 to 1,000 times the natural rate. The principal cause of species extinction is habitat loss, which tends to accelerate with an increase in a country's population density. A particularly productive but vulnerable habitat is found in coastal areas, home to 60% of the world's population. Coastal wetlands nurture two-thirds of all commercially caught fish, for example. And coral reefs have the second-highest concentration of biodiversity in the world, after tropical rain forests. But human encroachment and pollution are degrading these areas: Roughly half of the world's salt marshes and mangrove swamps have been eliminated or radically altered, and two-thirds of the world's coral reefs have been degraded, 10% of them "beyond recognition." As coastal migration continues - coastal dwellers could account for 75% of world population within 30 years - the pressures on these productive habitats will likely increase. Climate Change Over the last half century, carbon emissions from fossil-fuel burning expanded at nearly twice the rate of population, boosting atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, by 30% over pre-industrial levels. Fossil-fuel use accounts for roughly three-quarters of world carbon emissions. As a result, regional growth in carbon emissions tend to occur where economic activity and related energy use is projected to grow most rapidly. Emissions in China are projected to grow over three times faster than population in the next 50 years due to a booming economy that is heavily reliant on coal and other carbon-rich energy sources. Emissions from developing countries will nearly quadruple over the next half century, while those from industrial nations will increase by 30%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.S. Department of Energy. Although annual emissions from industrial countries are currently twice as high as from developing ones, the latter are on target to eclipse the industrial world by 2020. Energy The global demand for energy grew twice as fast as population over the last 50 years. By 2050, developing countries will be consuming much more energy as their populations increase and become more affluent. When per capita energy consumption is high, even a low rate of population growth can have significant effects on total energy demand. In the United States, for example, the 75 million people projected to be added to the population by 2050 will boost energy demand to roughly the present energy consumption of Africa and Latin America. World oil production per person reached a high in 1979 and has since declined by 23%. Estimates of when global oil production will peak range from 2011 to 2025, signaling future price shocks as long as oil remains the world's dominant fuel. In the next 50 years, the greatest growth in energy demands will come where economic activity is projected to be highest: in Asia, where consumption is expected to grow 361%, though population will grow by just 50%. Energy consumption is also expected to increase in Latin America (by 340%) and Africa (by 326%). In all three regions, local pressures on energy sources, ranging from forests to fossil fuel reserves to waterways, will be significant. Waste Local and global environmental effects of waste disposal will likely worsen as 3.4 billion people are added to the world's population over the next half century. Prospects for providing access to sanitation are dismal in the near to medium term. A growing population increases society's disposal headaches - the garbage, sewage, and industrial waste that must be gotten rid of. Even where population is largely stable - the case in many industrialized countries - the flow of waste products into landfills and waterways generally continues to increase. Where high rates of economic and population growth coincide in coming decades, as they will in many developing countries, mountains of waste will likely pose difficult disposal challenges for municipal and national authorities. ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND QUALITY OF LIFE Jobs Since 1950, the world's labor force has more than doubled - from 1.2 billion people to 2.7 billion outstripping the growth in job creation. Over the next half century, the world will need to create more than 1.9 billion jobs in the developing world just to maintain current levels of employment. While population growth may boost labor demand (through economic activity and demand for goods), it will most definitely boost labor supply. As the balance between the demand and supply of labor is tipped by population growth, wages tend to decrease. And in a situation of labor surplus, the quality of jobs may not improve as fast, for workers will settle for longer hours, fewer benefits, and less control over work activities. Employment is the key to obtaining food, housing, health services, and education, in addition to providing self-respect and self-fulfillment. Income Incomes have risen most rapidly in developing countries where population has slowed the most, including South Korea, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. African countries, largely ignoring family planning, have been overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of young people who need to be educated and employed. If the world cannot simultaneously convert the economy to one that is environmentally sustainable and move to a lower population trajectory, economic decline will be hard to avoid. Housing The ultimate manifestation of population growth outstripping the supply of housing is homelessness. The United Nations estimates that at least 100 million of the world's people - roughly equal to the population of Mexico - have no home; the number tops 1 billion if squatters and others with insecure or temporary accommodations are included. Unless population growth can be checked worldwide, the ranks of the homeless are likely to swell dramatically. Education In nations that have increasing child-age populations, the base pressures on the educational system will be severe. In the world's 10 fastest-growing countries, most of which are in Africa and the Middle East, the child-age population will increase an average of 93% over the next 50 years. Africa as a whole will see its school-age population grow by 75% through 2040. If national education systems begin to stress lifelong learning for a rapidly changing world of the twenty-first century, then extensive provision for adult education will be necessary, affecting even those countries with shrinking child-age populations. . Urbanization Today's cities are growing faster: It took London 130 years to get from 1 million to 8 million inhabitants; Mexico City made this jump in just 30 years. The world's urban population as a whole is growing by just over 1 million people each week. This urban growth is fed by the natural increase of urban populations, by net migration from the countryside, and by villages or towns expanding to the point where they become cities or they are absorbed by the spread of existing cities. If recent trends continue, 6.5 billion people will live in cities by 2050, more than the world's total population today. Therefore, Population growth and distribution have significant roles to play in the sustainability of the world's vast resources. Not only the number of people, but also the lifestyle, consumption patterns, and regions people inhabit and use directly affect the environment. The relationship between population growth and environmental degradation may appear to be rather straightforward. More people demand more resources and generate more waste. Clearly one of the challenges of a growing population is that the mere presence of so many people sharing a limited number of resources strains the environment. But when looking at the impact of human activities, the situation is more complicated due to the wide variety of government policies, technologies, and consumption patterns worldwide. The link between population growth and the environment is found somewhere between the view that population growth is solely responsible for all environmental ills and the view that more people means the development of new technologies to overcome any environmental problems. Most environmentalists agree that population growth is only one of several interacting factors that place pressure on the environment. High levels of consumption and industrialization, inequality in wealth and land distribution, inappropriate government policies, poverty, and inefficient technologies all contribute to environmental decline. In fact, population may not be a root cause in environmental decline, but rather just one factor among many that exacerbate or multiply the negative effects of other social, economic, and political factors. Works Cited: C. F. Westoff (1997), "Population Growth: Large Problem, Low Visibility," Politics and the Life Sciences 16, 227. Bromfield L. (1947), "Malabar Farm", Ballantine Books, London Brown Lester R., Gardner Gary, Halweil Brian (February 1999), 16 Impacts of Population Growth, Vol. 33 Mckee Jeffrey K. (2003), "Sparing Nature: The Conflict between Human Population Growth and Earth's Biodiversity", Rutgers University Press: New Brunswick, NJ Human Population: Fundamentals of Growth Environmental Relationships, (n.d.), accessed September 30, 2005 from: http://www.prb.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PRB/Educators/Human_Population/Environment4/Environmental_Relationships1.htm Read More

 

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