Population Effects on Our Environment

Population Effects on Our Environment

Written By: Amanda Dunstan

The Malthusian and the Demographic Transition theories help scientists understand our population and their devastating potentials for our environment. Everything in our ecosystem is vital for our survival as a whole planet. Problems with our population can greatly affect or ecosystem.

Theorists

Thomas Robert Malthus developed the Malthusian Theory, in which he believed our population would increase in a geometric progression and our food production would increase in an arithmetic progression. A geometric progression means that the population would increase by doubling its self, such as 100, 200, 400, 800, and so forth. While the arithmetic progression is that the food production would increase at a slower rate by going 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and so forth. Malthus believed that at this rate our population would cease to exist because we would run out of natural resources to supply our population with food. “Even with new agricultural technology, farmland is limited.” It is believed that people are “reproducing beyond what the planet” can feed, in which will lead to the “widespread [of] starvation and war over” the remaining resources (Macionis, 2010, p.573). Our overall environment will be affected if our world can’t produce enough resources.

The Demographic Transition Theory has four stages in which it “links [the] population patters to a society’s level of technological development” (Macionis, 2010, p.573). The stage one focuses on high birth rates and death rates. This stage was commonly found before the industrial revolution and was when the population was evened out. Stage two is when the population began to increase at a more rapid rate due to the decrease of death rates and in the steadiness of birth rates. This was also the beginning of the industrial revolution in which there was an increase in our food supply and scientific discoveries. The third stage is when the economy becomes more mature. During this stage there is a decrease of birth rates which causes the population to curve showing a slower increase in our world population. The fourth stage happens in the postindustrial economy society in which the population slows down to a consistent rate and/or decreases. This is the final stage “in which the demographic transition is complete” (Macionis, 2010, p. 574).

Culture: Growth and Limits

“Echoing Malthus, environmentalist warn that if we call on Earth to support [our] increasing numbers of people, we will surely deplete finite resources, destroying the environment-and ourselves-in the process” (Macionis, 2010, p. 586). This is the logic of growth. Most people expect scientists to come up with alternative resources, but is relying on them what is best for our environment? We need to limit our growth. The best way to do that is to make birth control more available to women, especially those in very populated locations. That alone would be a beneficial tool in helping our environment. Also, another great tool would be to inform others about what is actually going on within our environment and how they can help it. Knowledge is a very valuable tool in trying to sustain our natural resources.

The Chinese government is also a form of an organization that is currently taking care of the population growth issues and is trying to set limits in China. This has been very beneficial for the country because their rapid population is now decreasing due to their one-child policy. This policy rewards parents who have only one child and punishes parents who have more than one. Although this policy has helped their population issues, there is a negative to this form of population control. The Chinese families prefer boy babies over girl babies and some are willing to do anything, including criminal and unethical acts, to ensure that their baby is a boy. The country has noticed a dramatic decrease in their female population due to less people desiring to have a girl baby.

Currently, I am not active in an organization used to make social changes to the population issues that are going to affect our environment. The best way that I have contributed to our population issue is by using birth control and not wanting to have a lot of children. We have decided that it would be in our best interest to have no more than two children. As of right now we have one child and are waiting three to five years to have our second child. We planned it this way so we can remain financially stable and afford finer things for our family. This is a common concept that is found throughout the United States. Actually, more women today are choosing not to have children due to their independent lifestyles.

Indeed, our increased population over the past decade has taken a toll on our environment. Our natural resources are beginning to run dry and scientists searching for alternative resources that they may or may not discover. Understanding our population, whether it is increasing or decreasing, is essential for not only our survival, but our planets as well.

References

Macionis, J. J. (2010). Sociology. In J. J. Macionis, Sociology (p. 379). Boston: Prentice Hall.