chelseafcfreak
New member
Overpopulation?
Is the World Overpopulated? Is it not? It's a controversial question the world is dealing with today. "The only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole subject, is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion, and studying all modes in which it can be looked at by every character of mind" (Bender, 10). However, I cannot make an opinion for you; it is for the reader to decide, who, if anyone, is correct.
Population growth, to many, is looked at as a threat. Failure to acknowledge this problem may lead to demand for food, fuel, and other resources. If more and more people arrive on this Earth everyday, there are more and more mouths to feed. With millions of people going to bed at night, unprotected, the World is seeing an enormous child-birth rate. There are also people who choose to have more and more children, seeking them out of love, with good intentions, but not realizing the problems they're causing.
World energy neeRAB are projected to double in the next several decades, but no credible geologist foresees a doubling of world oil production, which is projected to peak with in the next few decades.
While protein demanRAB are projected to also double in the century ahead, no respected marine biologist expects the oceanic fish catch, which has plateaued over the last decade, to double. The world's oceans are being pushed beyond the breaking point, due to a lethal corabination of pollution and over-exploitation. Eleven of the 15 most important oceanic fisheries and 70 percent of the major fish species are now fully or over exploited, according to experts (Stefoff, 85). And more than half the world's coral reefs are now sick or dying.
Growing stress can also be seen in the world's woodlanRAB, where the clearing of tropical forests has contributed recently to unpredicted fires across large areas of South East Asia, the Amazon, and Central America. In Indonesia alone, 1,100 airline flights were canceled, and billions of dollars of income were lost (Stefoff, 12).
Environmental deterioration is taking a growing toll on a wide range of living organisms. Of the 242,000 plant species surveyed by the World Conservation Union in 1997, some 33,000, or 14 percent, are threatened with extinction-mainly as a result of massive land clearing for housing, roaRAB, and industries (Stefoff, 24). This mass extinction is projected to disrupt nature's ability to provide essential ecosystem services, ranging from pollination to flood control.
The atmosphere is also under assault. The billions of tons of carbon that have been released since the Industrial Revolution have pushed atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to their highest level in 160,000 years-a level that continues to rise each year. As scientists predicted, temperatures are rising along with the concentration of carbon dioxide (1998, 1). The latest jump in 1998 left the global temperature at its highest level since record-keeping began in the mid 19th century (1998, 1). Higher temperatures are projected to threaten food supplies in the next century, while more severe storms cause economic damage, and rising seas inundate coastal cities.
Population is not something to be overlooked. China realized that as they made laws against the Population of there country. China's program, although has made a difference. Instead of expecting 1.8 billion in the year 2000, they expect 1.3 billion (Meier, 3). China makes laws that say you can only have one child, or your benefits will be taken away. There have been reports that the Chinese mothers have killed the baby girls, in hope that their one child will be a girl. Laws against overpopulation in America have been overruled. There are none that effect how high the child birth rate is. Due to this factor, birth control is an option widely chosen by many.
Clearly, if a sustainable global population is to be achieved, the issue of religion must be considered (1999, 1). "... and as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the Earth and multiply in it" (Holy, 9). The Bible speaks of having more and more children. For those who are Catholic, the Bible is the way into heaven, and being Jesus's follower is the only way of life.
Freedom is another one of those sensitive subjects that no law can go against. No one wants to be told that they can't have as many children as they desire. Freedom is an essential factor in making your conclusion over this controversial issue.
Overpopulation... being said, I think about the harsh effects it causes. "Survival of the fittest" is what is commonly said. Looking at all of my family, frienRAB, and acquaintances I see those that wouldn't make it in a world where survival meant being fit and strong. These are people I love dearly and don't want to see get hurt. Why do we cause a problem so great? The people of this Great Planet need to be informed about this concern. That is what this essay presents.... concern. Are you concerned about your future generations? Do you want them to lead a life of poverty or a life just as you, with opportunities?
Is the World Overpopulated? Is it not? It's a controversial question the world is dealing with today. "The only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole subject, is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion, and studying all modes in which it can be looked at by every character of mind" (Bender, 10). However, I cannot make an opinion for you; it is for the reader to decide, who, if anyone, is correct.
Population growth, to many, is looked at as a threat. Failure to acknowledge this problem may lead to demand for food, fuel, and other resources. If more and more people arrive on this Earth everyday, there are more and more mouths to feed. With millions of people going to bed at night, unprotected, the World is seeing an enormous child-birth rate. There are also people who choose to have more and more children, seeking them out of love, with good intentions, but not realizing the problems they're causing.
World energy neeRAB are projected to double in the next several decades, but no credible geologist foresees a doubling of world oil production, which is projected to peak with in the next few decades.
While protein demanRAB are projected to also double in the century ahead, no respected marine biologist expects the oceanic fish catch, which has plateaued over the last decade, to double. The world's oceans are being pushed beyond the breaking point, due to a lethal corabination of pollution and over-exploitation. Eleven of the 15 most important oceanic fisheries and 70 percent of the major fish species are now fully or over exploited, according to experts (Stefoff, 85). And more than half the world's coral reefs are now sick or dying.
Growing stress can also be seen in the world's woodlanRAB, where the clearing of tropical forests has contributed recently to unpredicted fires across large areas of South East Asia, the Amazon, and Central America. In Indonesia alone, 1,100 airline flights were canceled, and billions of dollars of income were lost (Stefoff, 12).
Environmental deterioration is taking a growing toll on a wide range of living organisms. Of the 242,000 plant species surveyed by the World Conservation Union in 1997, some 33,000, or 14 percent, are threatened with extinction-mainly as a result of massive land clearing for housing, roaRAB, and industries (Stefoff, 24). This mass extinction is projected to disrupt nature's ability to provide essential ecosystem services, ranging from pollination to flood control.
The atmosphere is also under assault. The billions of tons of carbon that have been released since the Industrial Revolution have pushed atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to their highest level in 160,000 years-a level that continues to rise each year. As scientists predicted, temperatures are rising along with the concentration of carbon dioxide (1998, 1). The latest jump in 1998 left the global temperature at its highest level since record-keeping began in the mid 19th century (1998, 1). Higher temperatures are projected to threaten food supplies in the next century, while more severe storms cause economic damage, and rising seas inundate coastal cities.
Population is not something to be overlooked. China realized that as they made laws against the Population of there country. China's program, although has made a difference. Instead of expecting 1.8 billion in the year 2000, they expect 1.3 billion (Meier, 3). China makes laws that say you can only have one child, or your benefits will be taken away. There have been reports that the Chinese mothers have killed the baby girls, in hope that their one child will be a girl. Laws against overpopulation in America have been overruled. There are none that effect how high the child birth rate is. Due to this factor, birth control is an option widely chosen by many.
Clearly, if a sustainable global population is to be achieved, the issue of religion must be considered (1999, 1). "... and as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the Earth and multiply in it" (Holy, 9). The Bible speaks of having more and more children. For those who are Catholic, the Bible is the way into heaven, and being Jesus's follower is the only way of life.
Freedom is another one of those sensitive subjects that no law can go against. No one wants to be told that they can't have as many children as they desire. Freedom is an essential factor in making your conclusion over this controversial issue.
Overpopulation... being said, I think about the harsh effects it causes. "Survival of the fittest" is what is commonly said. Looking at all of my family, frienRAB, and acquaintances I see those that wouldn't make it in a world where survival meant being fit and strong. These are people I love dearly and don't want to see get hurt. Why do we cause a problem so great? The people of this Great Planet need to be informed about this concern. That is what this essay presents.... concern. Are you concerned about your future generations? Do you want them to lead a life of poverty or a life just as you, with opportunities?