CH 9 Facing the Problems of Overpopulation

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UNIT 4

• CH 9 Facing the Problems of Overpopulation

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The Human Population Explosion

• 81 world population lives in less developed
  countries
• 126 of these countries will double their
  population by 2050 if this growth rate
  continues!!
• As our numbers increase environmental
  degradation, hunger, persistent poverty, economic
  stagnation, urban deterioration, and health
  issues will continue to challenge us!

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Population and World Hunger

• 86 countries considered low income and food
  deficient
• Whats the cause for world hunger?

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Whats the most effective way to stop world
hunger?

• Population growth is the problem
• We need to promote economic development in those
  low income countries
• The real problem is inequitable distribution of
  resources

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Sub-Saharan Africa

• If continued current growth of 2002 it would
  double its population in 28 years!
• It would have to double its food production by
  300 to feed its population in 2050
• Bottom line slow population growth to give time
  for increase in food production, expand economic
  development, conserve natural resources

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Economic Effects of Continued Population Growth

• Pop growth stimulates economic development and
  technology innovation
• Pop stabilization wont guarantee higher living
  standards but would probably promote economic
  development ? increases living standards

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Debt in Developing Countries

• In order to raise living standards economic
  growth must be gt population growth
• Developing countries borrow from higher
  countries and world bankbig debt
• As of 2000 owe gt2.5 TRILLION (holy schnikies!)

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Populations, Resources, and the Environment

• Two generalizations
• Resources that are essentials to individuals
  survival are small, but a rapidly increasing
  number people tends to overwhelm and deplete a
  countrys soils, forest, other natural resources
• In highly developed countries individual
  resources demands are large we exhaust and
  degrade the environment through extravagant
  lifestyles

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Types of Resources

• Nonrenewable resources minerals (Al, Sn, Cu),
  fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) present in
  limited supplies and are depleted by use
• Renewable resources trees, fish, fertile
  agricultural soil, freshwater nature replaces
  these resources fairly rapidly (days to decades)

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Population Size and Resource Consumption

• Consumption human use of materials and energy
  provides consumer with a sense of identity and
  status among peers
• We are encouraged to spend and consume
• Americans consume 10 billion tons of
  material/year
• Our large consumption affects natural resources
  and environment for other nations

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People Overpopulation Consumption Overpopulation

• People overpopulation occurs when environment is
  worsening bc there are too many people
• Consumption overpopulation occurs when each
  individual of a population consumes too large of
  a share of resources
• Same effect on environment ? pollution and
  degradation

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Ecological Footprint

• Average amount of land and ocean needed to supply
  an individual with food, energy, water, housing,
  transportation and waste disposal
• Lets compare
• US footprint 9.6 hectare (23.7 acres)
• Nigeria footprint 1 hectare (2.5 acres)
• If 6.2 billion people lived like us we would need
  4 additional planet Earths!

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New Consumers in Developing Countries

• If you increase economic growth you can purchase
  more goods
• However this can in turn cause adverse effects on
  the environment
• Ex. Air pollution from more cars

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Sustainable Consumption

• Use of goods and services that satisfy basic
  needs and improve quality of life but also
  minimize use of resources so they are available
  for future use
• Includes population, economic activities,
  technological choices, social values, government
  policies
• Promote this by switching to public
  transportation, making durable products,
  recyclables

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Population and Urbanization

• Urbanization process of people increasingly move
  from rural areas to densely populated cities
  (rural ? urban)
• U.S. 25 people involved in agriculture 75 live
  in cities
• Main difference between rural and urban is how
  people make a living

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Characteristics of an Urban Population

• Wake up and give me some examples!

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Cities as an Ecosystem

• Urban ecologists look at P.O.E.T.
• Population number of people and factors that
  change the number (b,d,e,i)
• Organization refers to social structure of the
  city and its economic policies, government,
  social hierarchy
• Environment refers to both natural environment
  and citys infrastructure
• Technology human inventions that directly affect
  urban environment

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Environmental problems associated with urban areas

• WATER storm sewage problems
• AIR automobiles increase airborne emissions
• HEAT urban heat island when the atmosphere
  over cities is cloudier and produces more
  precipitationheat also retained due to paved
  streets and buildings

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Environmental Benefits of Urbanization

• Well planned city can reduce pollution and
  preserve rural areas!
• Compact development cities are designed so that
  tall, multi-unit residential buildings are close
  to shopping and jobs all connected by public
  transportation
• Fewer parking lots and more parks ?

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Urbanization Trends

• 47 world pop lives in urban areas
• Before 2010 number will increase above 50
• Highly developed countries 75 urban inhabitants
• Developing countries 40 urban inhabitants
• But most urbanization occurring in developing
  countries

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Homelessness

• US 300,000 to 500,000 homeless
• 1996 UN Conference on Human Settlements
  (Istanbul, Turkey)
• Considered urban issues poverty, crime,
  potential of epidemics

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Reducing Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

• Control expanding pop by reducing number of
  births
• Influences on TFR cultural traditions, womens
  social and economic status, family planning

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Culture and Fertility

• Culture includes values and norms of society and
  genders and their roles
• Couple expected to have number of children
  determined by traditions in their society

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Social and Economic Status of Women

• High TFR in countries where women have low status
• TFR also affected by marriage age which in turn
  is determined by laws and customs of the society
  they live in
• Education can lower TFR

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Family Planning Services

• Doesnt force people to limit family size, but
  attempts to convince people that small families
  are acceptable
• Prenatal care, proper birth spacing ? fewer
  infant deaths
• Provides info about contraceptives

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Contraceptive use and total fertility rate 2002
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Government Policies

• Laws determine minimum age to marry
• Allot portions of budgets to family planning
  services, education, health care, taxes
• 78 developing countries recognize need to limit
  pop growth 41 Africa, 19 Asia, 18 Latin America
• Ex. China, Nigeria, Mexico, Europe