The planet continues to combat a virus that has handcuffed the world in the past year. Whilst the past pandemics caused significant numbers of deaths denting the global population, this is no longer the case. Though many have died from COVID-19, more lives were saved due to medical advancements.
When a species exceeds its environment’s carrying capacity, overpopulation occurs. Thomas Malthus stated that the when the population exceeds food production, it will cause starvations, diseases, and violence. Nazis conceptualized the “population bomb” resulting to insufficient food supplies, natural resources, and space. Its other effects are rise in unemployment, environmental deterioration, etc.
The world population reached one billion in 1804. It doubled after 126 years but it only took 44 years to reach 4 billion. After every 12-13 years, there are one more billion people. The current world population is at 7.8 billion. It accelerated due to the death rate decline. Bad living conditions originally balanced birth rates and death rates. Many children were born due to the low chances of survival. Then, agricultural advancements improved food production. Scientific and technological advancements improved health. Both contributed in the decline in death rates and the increase in life expectancy.
Panic in reducing the population arose such as the creation of the Chinese One-Child Policy, forced sterilization of native women in Peru, and paid sterilization of drug-addicted women in the America. These backfired as the older generations outnumbered the younger generations. In reality, overpopulation is a false concept. The population growth rate reached its peak in 1968 at 2.09% and it is currently at 1.10% and will sink to 0.53% by 2050. By the next century, there will be 10.8 billion people with a 0.03% growth rate. The United Nations project the unlikeliness of the population reaching 12 billion. How is it possible that the growth rate declined? It can be explained with the Demographic Transition.
The Demographic Transition consists of four stages. The balance between birth rates and death rates amidst bad living conditions occurs in the first stage. Improved living conditions lowered death rates resulting in drastic increases in population. The number of infants born dropped in the third stage as infants’ chances of survival strengthen. The transition reaches its completion as birth rates and death rates balance and stabilize. Thus, growth rate eventually declines and the population reaches its peak.
Ten billion is still a lot of mouths to feed. But how have we fed 7.8 billion people? World starvation still occurs but that is the result of unfair policies in the distribution of resources not lack of food. Scientific and technological advancements, such as genetic engineering, improved food production greatly in quality, duration, quantity, etc.
The belief that the more people there are, the lesser resources are available is false. Humanity will continue to survive as long as we continue to improve and advance our species. The bigger the population, the more brilliant minds there are that will pioneer global developments.
Sources:
• https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects...
• https://www.usccb.org/.../myth-overpopulation-and-folks...
• https://www.worldometers.info/wolrd-population/
• https://www.worldometers.info/.../world-population-by-year/
• https://youtu.be/QsBT5EQt348
• https://youtu.be/UXUkameA0r8