Population Essay, Research Paper
A population according to the funk and Wangnall Dictionary is a grouping of individuals subject to the processes of birth, death, and migration.. During the first 2 million years of our history the human population had very little effect upon the overall world ecosystem, with no more than 10 million members. In the New Stone Age, less than 10,000 years ago, the number of humans began to increase more rapidly. By the beginning of the Christian era it had reached 250 million, and by the year 1650 CE up to half a billion(Internet Source)Reproduction resulted un having children which were perfect for doing farmwork, collecting dowry and starting family. By 2030,the population is projected to hit eight to ten billion. With this rapid growth, concern for the future is inevitable. The planet can not handle anymore chaos and can not create enough food to disturbate to those who are in demand of it. A stable relationship with plants and animals must be attained or future populations will suffer.
Problem
About 140 000 million babies will be born, and 53 million will die which gives the overpopulated world an additional 84 million people per year. With the planet growing at alarming rate 230 000 per day people, With the increasing population, pollution is on the rise, making safe water scarceIn Asia the population increases by 50 million, the population of Africa by 17 million and Latin America and the Caribbean by only eight million. Africa has the hightest growth rate at 2.36 %(Internet Source). These are places where people need children for work or if they don?t want kids they have no way of getting contraception or to be informed about it, thus making the population grow at an alarming rate. Someone must feed the hungry, with each individual requiring about 2 200 calouries per day unfortunetly of the six billion over 220 million are malnourished.
Causes of rapid growth
Throughout history many have debated the plant?s carrying capacity. As far back as 469 BC in Socrates time and to the present, have said that the world will suffer globally for there will not enough food for humans. Farmers of the past, present and the future have and will continue to prove these assumptions wrong. Farming is the elemant that has been keeping the assumpation wrong. Farming has been around since the 8000 B.C perhaps one of the most important inventions ever made Too many people are living on the plant presently, thanks to technology less people are dying due the quality of life that is improving, though its not directly related to malnutriention it?s the speed of growth that is the cause of malnourshed and farming is the fuel that lets the population grow so fast. The root cause s of malnutrition is the lack of available and affordable food, health services, safe water, and proper sanitation. Technology not only lets the human race to live longer and healthier lives providing them with a better quality of life due to the fact that we eat better. Farming with the help of tecnology is the cause why we eat better thus letting the human population grow rapidly.
Throughout history many have debated the plant?s carrying capacity. As far back as 469 BC in Socrates time and to the present, have said that the world will suffer globally for there will not enough food for humans. Farmers of the past, present and the future have and will continue to prove these assumptions wrong. Farming is the elemant that has been keeping the assumpation wrong. Farming has been around since the 8000 B.C perhaps one of the most important inventions ever made. Without farming the world would not be able to reach the present size of the human population and the for seen future. Someone must feed the hungry, with each individual requiring about 2 200 calouries per day. Farming brings food to dinner tables and is what helps us to grow. It allows humans to grow and get taught new methods of technology to aid society in the future.
Technology is not only beneficial for farming, but it increases the life expectancy of humans, thus less people are dying. and keeping the population under control . During the 14th century the Black Death wiped out a third of the population of Europe.(Grolier Encyclopedia) If the 14th century had our present day medicine or technology, this catasophy would have been unheard of. Triumph over disease on a worldwide scale did not come until 20th century with the introduction of antibiotics and DDT. DDT is a very active, broad-spectrum pesticide, particularly effective against beetles, moths and butterflies, flies, and mosquitoes, it controls insect-vectored human diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, river blindness, elephantiasis, epidemic and murine typhus, and bubonic plague. virtually eradicated malaria from more than ?20 countries populated by more than 1 billion humans. In India where DDT reduced malaria from 75 million cases a year (with 1 million deaths) to less than 5 million cases a year (with less than 5,000 deaths) in a decade. The life span of Indians was extended from 32 years to 47. In the United States a similar program reduced endemic malaria from 250,000 cases a year during the 1930s to less than 10 cases a year by 1950.(Grolier Encypedia) This is only one the many examples where technology is beneficial to us. Without a doubt medicine lets humans live longer and healthier, thus substantially controlling the death rate.
In the 1940’s an acre of planted onions would produce 200 sacks of onions. Now however, if a farmer does not produce 800 sacks of onions per acre then perhaps the farmer should start a new lifestyle. Now a days competition among farmers is ver intense which makes it hard to earn a living from farming. Technology helps farmers to advance in the competition and increase the yield of their crop.
Effect
Like everything else these days, inventions which hep to advance the farmers have their price. To make more food one has to destroy existing land and cultivate it. When cultivating however a farmer exposes the vital nutrient that is in the soul to nature?s wind. As vital nutrients sit on top of the soil the wind comes along and blows it away thus robbing the soil nutrients therefore decreasing the quality of the compared before. Pesticides and better weather forecasting reduces cases of crop loss. Developing country farmers proved willing and able to learn and apply improved techniques. It is hard for farmers to admit that his or her plant will ever run out food, considering that technology help production of farming, where it tripled since 1948.
, but it allows couple and society to control the rate of birth.
Effects
Farming has it disadvantages. When people farm they destroy the natural ecosystem that once was there. We destroy so much land that we bring some species to extinction. Some species whether it be in animals or plants are important for that they may hold important genetic information. Genetic information is important because some species may contain information to help or even cure diseases. In the low deforestation areas approximately 15% of the planet?s species can be expected to be lost. In the high deforestation case, perhaps as many as 20% will be lost. In total about 500 000 to 600 000 are expected to be extinguished from 1980 to 2000(Abraham 1997). These are species that humans will never see again. Humans even though they don?t realize we are destroying the plant.
Solution
With contraceptives, such as condoms, birth control pills and abortions we see means of limiting reproduction. With the practice of contraception many wonder why there is still an increase in population? Some countries prohibit contraception because of political rules which gives people no alternative. While millions of couples that want to use contraception do not have access to it. Many developing countries, for example are faced with economic crisis and political uncertainty, which results in downsizing their financing on family-planning programs. People who live in countries where contraceptives are legal with a in high standard of living, seem to have jobs where they are ?salarymen?. In these jobs, people work very long hours, spending many nights and holidays with clients and colleagues. With all this time devoted to work there is less time spent for a normal family. Population-control experts are finally understanding that couples will have a family despite technological aspects, such as contraceptives (National Geographic) These situations are only found in developed countries. Most people unfortunately do not live in a high standard society. ?Ninety-seven increases are taken place in less developed parts of the world. In Asia the population increases by 50 million, the population of Africa by 17 million and Latin America and the Caribbean by only eight million. Africa has the hightest growth rate at 2.36 %(Internet Source). These are places where people need children for work or if they don?t want kids they have no way of getting contraception or to be informed about it, thus making the population grow at an alarming rate.
Throughout history many have debated the plant?s carrying capacity. As far back as 469 BC in Socrates time and to the present, have said that
In the 1940’s an acre of planted onions would produce 200 sacks of onions. Now however, if a farmer does not produce 800 sacks of onions per acre then perhaps the farmer should start a new lifestyle. Now a days competition among farmers is ver intense which makes it hard to earn a living from farming. Technology helps farmers to advance in the competition and increase the yield of their crop. Like everything else these days, inventions which hep to advance the farmers have their price. To make more food one has to destroy existing land and cultivate it. When cultivating however a farmer exposes the vital nutrient that is in the soul to nature?s wind. As vital nutrients sit on top of the soil the wind comes along and blows it away thus robbing the soil nutrients therefore decreasing the quality of the compared before. Pesticides and better weather forecasting reduces cases of crop loss. Developing country farmers proved willing and able to learn and apply improved techniques. It is hard for farmers to admit that his or her plant will ever run out food, considering that technology help production of farming, where it tripled since 1948.
Farming not only produces vegetation but also as well they make meat for us, like chickens, cows and pigs. Wheat, rice and similar grains are important measure to ensure everyone is healthy and sufficiently fed. Meat production is not necessary to keep healthy and sufficient diet, so then meat is consider to be a luxury. Rasing live stock is far more expensive then producing grain, despite the fact that meat production exceeds that of grain production. Compare meat at an increase of 22% to grain of an increase of 15%. To see these type of resluts is a good indication of human dietry and the production of food.
Farming has it disadvantages. When people farm they destroy the natural ecosystem that once was there. We destroy so much land that we bring some species to extinction. Some species whether it be in animals or plants are important for that they may hold important genetic information. Genetic information is important because some species may contain information to help or even cure diseases. In the low deforestation areas approximately 15% of the planet?s species can be expected to be lost. In the high deforestation case, perhaps as many as 20% will be lost. In total about 500 000 to 600 000 are expected to be extinguished from 1980 to 2000(Abraham 1997). These are species that humans will never see again. Humans even though they don?t realize we are destroying the plant.
Farming not only destroys natural ecosystem but also pollutes. When farmers use fertilizer on their crop the rain washes some of the fertilizer into the water system. This pollutes our drinking water and thus harming the human species as well as animal and plant species. This is only a small part of a huge problem. Farm are able to let more people live because more food is available. The more people, the more demand there is on goods. The industrialization of society, the introduction of motorized vehicles, and the explosion of the human population, however, have caused an exponential growth in the production of goods and services. Coupled with this growth has been a tremendous increase in waste by-products. Numerous scientists have maintained that the rise in global temperatures in the 1980s and early 1990s as a result of the greenhouse effect. The spewing of thousands of tons of particles and airborne gases into the atmosphere caused from motorized vehicles and industrialized smoke stacks that release carbon dioxide are detrimental. Meanwhile we see the ozone depleting because of CFC in refrigators, air conditioners and aerosol cans. As the ozone breaks down, it lets more of the sun?s harmful radiation in.. For example, it would raise the incidence of human skin cancers and cataracts, as well as reducing food production in general. If this radiation reached the Earth’s surface at unprotected levels, it is dangerous to all forms of life
Technology is not only beneficial for farming, but it increases the life expectancy of humans, and keeping the population under control where it is affordable. During the 14th century the Black Death wiped out a third of the population of Europe.(Grolier Encyclopedia) If the 14th century had our present day medicine or technology, this catasophy would have been unheard of. Triumph over disease on a worldwide scale did not come until 20th century with the introduction of antibiotics and DDT. DDT is a very active, broad-spectrum pesticide, particularly effective against beetles, moths and butterflies, flies, and mosquitoes, it controls insect-vectored human diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, river blindness, elephantiasis, epidemic and murine typhus, and bubonic plague. virtually eradicated malaria from more than ?20 countries populated by more than 1 billion humans. In India where DDT reduced malaria from 75 million cases a year (with 1 million deaths) to less than 5 million cases a year (with less than 5,000 deaths) in a decade. The life span of Indians was extended from 32 years to 47. In the United States a similar program reduced endemic malaria from 250,000 cases a year during the 1930s to less than 10 cases a year by 1950.(Grolier Encypedia) This is only one the many examples where technology is beneficial to us. Without a doubt medicine lets humans live longer and healthier, thus substantially controlling the death rate.
Even with technology on our side there are still nations with people dying of starvation and malnutrition. These are the nations where the relationship, between plants and animals is unstable. Politics can only falsely assure the people a steady relationship between the two. Nzulu a village near the border of Democratic Republic of Congo, where the population is holding at around 500. People are in starvation and political manipulations. Though the world governments help provide seeds and tools that farmers would need people still can not farm because of political unstablity. From political unstablty people are fleeing nearby Rwanda to get away from civil war. As the thousands of refugees that flee Rwanda they loot farms, and eat whatever they can, and in return leaving nothing for the families that own the farms. It then took two years for the farm to regain its crop, and only later it was stolen by soliders fighting the Zairean civil war in 1996. Not only do people have their crops stolen, but even worse, the farmers have no incentive to start a new farm because have they suspect that it would be raived by some later army(National Geographic). The village might have the will of people and the equipment to produce a farm, there must political stability, thus politics controls the food supply. This in result leads to malnutrition
Malnutrition is easily beating malaria, AIDS, and dehydration as the single leading cause of death among children. About six million children die of malnurtition every year even though the causes are entirely preventable. The root cause of malnutrition as the lack of available and affordable food. It would take only 25 cents worth of antibiotics a day which would prevent more than one million child deaths annually from pneumonica. Without farms how are people to get proper dietary.
A prime example of politics controlling food supply is in China. This country has more mouths to feed than any other county in the world. During the 1950’s the country was devasted by the famine Which killed tens of millions and reduced average calorie intake far below the recommended value. Presently with strong growing economy that has produced high growth rates. It sees no shortages of food supply, instead China has changed so that they can produce enough grain and live-stock to feed about a billion.
Technology is the key factor why the human population is capable to grow at an alarming rate that it is. Technology has proven every assumptions wrong, that world will suffer from food shortages. Assumptions are only as seen to try slow down the population growth by scaring people, that humanity will suffer. Pollution might slow down the population growth. Some people affected by pollution will die from more sevre storms, skin cancer and other related deaths. With new technology, be it in medicine, population control devices or new methods of farming, technology always finds room for population to get larger. As long as people find new methods technology there will always be enough food for the increasing population. Food shortages will still remain, for the lack of political will is the problem to food shortages.