Curious ElfEarth is home to millions of species. Each species has found its place and role that helps in running the planet. Among the millions of species, humans are the superior ones, and that too 7.8 billion in number. While humans are called the superior species, we are responsible for polluting and harming the environment. Ironic! Well, conversations about overpopulation can quickly turn into a heated and controversial discussion because nobody wants to answer the question – who exactly is the cause of the problem, and what should be done about it?
Many people worry that discussions around such topics will be abused and taken negatively by close-minded people. We are pushing Mother Earth to its ecological breaking point. An average human consumes at a rate of 50% above the sustainable level. Surprisingly, in the US, the average person consumes 5x more than the sustainable yield of the planet. Overpopulation is a situation where the Earth cannot reproduce the resources consumed by the world’s population every year.
We are close to hitting the 8 billion mark. Experts say that each successive year is becoming more and more damaging. This has been the case each year since 1970. Thus, as responsible citizens, it is our responsibility to understand what is contributing to overconsumption and overpopulation and how they are affecting everything around us – from sociopolitical unrest to climate change.
What is causing overpopulation?
Overpopulation is an unfortunate condition where the current human population transcends the actual carrying capacity of the ecological niche. The world’s population is increasing in significant annual increments – 80 million per year, and by 2100, we will cross the 10 billion mark. Overpopulation is caused by numerous factors. Better medical facilities, reduced mortality rate, and depletion of precious resources are the primary factors resulting in overpopulation. Humanity is affected by the growing advances in technology every year. It is possible for a sparsely populated region to become densely populated if it fails to sustain life. One of the biggest technological advancements has been the ability to create a better medical treatment for all and save lives. A direct consequence of this has been the increased lifespan, which has ultimately led to the growth of the population.
Previously, the birth and death rates were balanced, which allowed maintaining a sustainable population growth rate. However, since the 1400s, in the aftermath of the Bubonic Plague, the growth of the population has been on a constant increase. Between the Bubonic Plague and the 21st century, there have been thousands of wars, man-made calamities, and natural disasters. The balancing factor has declined over the centuries to a level that things have gotten out of control. Developing countries are the most susceptible to overpopulation as compared to developed countries.
Facts about the population around the world
People from different beliefs, creeds, castes, religions, and races call Earth their home. So, it should not come as a surprise that the human population across the globe is not equally divided but spread in different countries in different numbers. There are densely populated nations with more people per square kilometer, whereas there are sparsely populated nations with fewer people per square kilometer. The more the population is, the more people will live in a square kilometer area.
China is the world’s most populous country in the world with a population of approximately 1.4 billion people. India ranks second with 1.3 billion people, and the USA ranks third with 330 million people.
It is not a surprise that these three countries are the most polluted, accounting for 52% of the total world carbon emission. This clearly states that overpopulation is causing degradation of the nature and environment in leaps and bounds.
Fatal effects of overpopulation
According to statistics, in Great Britain, 76% of women aged between 16 and 49 used at least some form of contraception to avoid unexpected pregnancies. On the contrary, a report from the WHO (World Health Organization) states that this figure drops to 43% in developing and underdeveloped countries. This is causing higher birth rates. So, the primary cause of overpopulation is illiteracy and taboo of practicising safe sex.
The following are some drastic effects of overpopulation:
- Conflicts and wars
- Degradation of environment
- Faster climate change
- Lower life expectancy
- High cost of living
- Water shortage
- Pandemics and epidemics
- Depletion of natural resources
- Famine, starvation, and malnutrition
- Rise in unemployment
- Extinction
While it isn’t too late, world governments need to take immediate action right from now if we want to tackle this issue. One solution is better education, particularly education for the girl child and making people aware of family planning.
