Overpopulation

Jacob Walsh
Brandon Wallace

Abstract: Overpopulation

As time has passed and technology has advanced, there has been opportunity for the population of the world to become very large. Since 1950, the population of the earth has gone from 2.5 billion to 6.7 billion, and by 2050 the population is projected to reach 9.5 billion. This means that in the past 58 years the population has risen by more than 4.2 billion people. Also, this signifies that the difference between the population in 1950 and 2008 is greater by twofold than the number of people in 1958. At first, this sounds unlike a problem. Modern advancements have allowed the prosperity of our species. The problem is that all signs point to that prosperity being short lived. Simply put, there are not enough resources available to sustain what the population is projected to become. In other words, modern advancements in technology have made it possible for us to reach an unsustainable number of people on the planet. If people are not educated about this issue, and we as a species continue on this path, the consequences could be devastating. This is because there is not enough land to sustain a population as large as it is projected to be in the future. Only 13.31 % of the Earth's land area can be used for farming and food production, and of that 13.31% only 4.71 is suited to continuous farming. At present 1.3×10^7 km² of land is being used for crops, and 3.4×10^7 km² of land is being used for pasture land. That makes a total of 4.7×10^7 km² of land being used for food production. If the above population projections are accurate this signifies that within the next 40 years agricultural land space will have to be more than doubled, coming to a total of 66 million square kilometers of land used exclusively for food production. Currently little is being done internationally to address this issue, and nothing is being done domestically. The only country that is currently making an effort to curb the dangerous effects of overpopulation is China with its “one child policy”. The objective of the policy is self explanatory; the goal being to limit each couple to having one child, except in the cases of people who live in rural areas, or who have already had a child with a very severe illness. The problem with this policy is that it is very draconian, and not always uniformly enforced. Violators are subject to anything from fines to forced abortions. It is for these reasons that a new solution is needed, and this solution should not just be for China, but implementable across the globe.

To solve this problem, we propose that an educational campaign is organized, with the goal to teach the public about the reality and the dangers of overpopulation. Also, the program will attempt to make it easier for people to obtain family planning resources. This educational campaign would be implemented through the multifaceted use of public service announcements, informational posters in public areas, and expert speakers who would make presentations in schools and universities. The challenge is to overcome the cultural taboos that surround family planning and education.

Dear Editor:I have noticed that surprisingly few people are aware of the present situation regarding overpopulation and its imminent negative effects.. For those of you who do not know in the past 50 or so years our population has more than doubled, and is currently growing at an exponential rate. By 2050 (a mere 40 years, so within most of our lifetimes) the UN predicts that the population will reach an unprecedented size of almost 10 billion. The earth, with only 4.71% of its land capable of continuous farming, simply does not have enough agricultural land to produce enough food to support this many people.The most concerning thing is that currently almost nothing is being done to address the problem. Other than China's unnecessarily draconian"one child policy", in which couples are only allowed to have one child, there are no attempts being made by any governments to keep the population from reaching unsustainable levels.The best way to solve this problem is to educate the general public about the dangers of overpopulation, and about proper family planning. This is the ideal solution because once people are educated about overpopulation, and they understand the cause of it, they will implement the solution themselves. No one wants to create an unsustainable situation for themselves, so if they are given the facts that they need through various public channels, overpopulation will be prevented. All of this is much better than the alternative, which is the government instituting laws that force people to have fewer children.

Dear Editor:With troubled times some problems go unnoticed. I have found the troubling emergence of a problem that is happening on a global scale. This problem has been countered with stricter immigration and one-child policies. Overpopulation is beginning to show itself all over the globe. In the past 50 or so years our population has doubled, and is currently growing at an exponential rate. By 2050 (a mere 40 years, so within most of our lifetimes) the UN predicts that the population will reach almost 10 billion.But what does this mean? Our leaders are clearly turning away from the issue based on the mass ignorance of it. Our citizens, and the citizens of the world need to realize that space, food, and water are not resources that can keep up with a rising population. We are expanding too quickly and the environmental impact of this is too great to go unnoticed. The solution lies in educating the public of this problem. Without their understanding of the issue, the solution will never present itself. This is a solution that comes after the realization that forcing families to have one child leads to a sex imbalance. This is a dire situation that needs to be acknowledged sooner rather than later.

The Honorable Brian Bilbray
2348 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Senator Bilbray:My name is Brandon Wallace and I am a student in San Diego. I am writing because of my concern for the sustainability of the earth's population. I believe, as do many others, this is a very important issue which is consistently being neglected and avoided in today's society.

As I am sure you already know, population is growing exponentially, and the earth can only support so many people. By 2050 the UN predicts that the population will reach almost 10 billion people. This explosive growth can primarily be attributed to substantial advancement in agricultural science and technology in the past century. The problem with this is a result of dependence on fossil fuels, the imminence of global warming, a fixed amount of land on the planet, and the current lack of reliable alternative energies. As a result the projected population growth within our lifetimes will not be able to be supported by the agricultural system.It is for these reasons, and to ensure future prosperity of both the nation and the world, that I believe it is extremely important that a solution to this issue be implemented. The remedy is to educate both current and future generations about the dangers of overpopulation and the importance of sustainability with regards to family planning and population. With this in mind, I urge you to support any legislation or funding that promotes family planning and population sustainability education in schools, clinics, and media. In spite of the current economic issues, funding and support for these programs is still a high priority if we are to maintain our quality of life.I appreciate your consideration and understanding of this issue.

Sincerely,
Brandon Wallace
4677 Orten St.