Overpopulation is a condition where an organism’s numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat (Dice, 1957). In this particular instance, the term refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, Earth. Overpopulation is not a function of the size or density of the population (Dice, 1957). Overpopulation is determined by using the ratio of population to available sustainable resources (Sample, 2007). This creates am interesting debate as, The Fraser Institute states, “if the world’s entire population moved to the state of Texas, the population density per square mile would be 20, 705.” The Fraser Institute fails to properly define overpopulation, and then even misrepresents the idea. An overpopulation crisis does not just involve problems associated with space, loss of arable land and natural resources, but also includes mass species extinctions, changes in atmospheric composition, increase levels of pollution, high epidemics and pandemics, low life expectancy, unhygienic living conditions, and increase levels of welfare, all contributing to elevate crime rates (Leakey, 1996). A number of scientists warn that climate change and an increasing population could trigger a global food crisis in the next half century as countries struggle for fertile land to grow crops and rear animals (Sample, 2007).
The overpopulation of the continent is attributed to the natural growth in population and rural-urban migration, thus resulting to the break-down of traditional norms of sexuality, spread of disease, massive unemployment, corruption, pollution, poverty, lack of education and high child mortality (Lovett, 2008). These are all issues the Fraser Institute neglects to discuss. They point to the fact that there is enough wide open space available to hold numerous multiples of the present population. What they don’t realize is that most of the open space that they are referring to is inhabitable. At least half of cultivable land is already being farmed, and there are concerns that the remaining reserves are greatly overestimated (Young, 1999).
On current trends of birth and death rates, the UN predicts that world population will attain 9.2 billion by 2050, before it ceases climbing (Mackenzie, 2008). The current birth rate is 3.8 children per woman. Even if everyone moved to birth rates of around two children per woman, due to time lag, the population would still achieve 8.5 billion by 2050 (Mackenzie, 2008). The footprint amount of food, water, housing, energy, transportation, commerce, and waste absorption for each person is about 2.5 acres in developing nations, but approximately 24 acres in the United States. The footprint for the total human population is 5.2 acres (Wilson, 2002). For every person in the world to reach present U.S. levels of consumption with existing technology would require four more planet Earths (Wilson, 2002). To keep up with the growth in human population, more food will have to be produced worldwide over the next 50 years than has been during the past 10,000 years combined (Sample, 2007). David Pimentel, professor of ecology at Cornell University, states the maximum U.S. population for a sustainable economy at 200 million, less than the current population. To achieve a sustainable economy and avert disaster, the US must reduce its population by at least one-third, and world population will have to be reduced by two-thirds, says other studies (Pfeiffer, 2003).
In conclusion, the presented facts indicate that there is an overpopulation crisis. The Fraser Institute is misrepresenting the facts to redirect the readers onto other issues.
Literature Cited:
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Dice, Lee. (1957) Overpopulation and Ecology. The Scientific Monthly. 84(4): 165-170. Retrieved Jan. 23, 2009
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Leakey, R., and Lewin, R., (1996). The Sixth Extinction: Patterns of Life and Future of Humankind. MD, USA: Anchor Publishing.
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Lovett, Jon. (2008). Urbanization and Overpopulation. African Journal of Ecology. 46(4):461-462, Retrieved Jan. 25, 2009
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Mackenzie, Debora. (2008). The Population Paradox. New Scientist. 199(2683): 20, Retrieved Jan. 25, 2009
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Pfeiffer, Dale. (2003). Eating Fossil Fuels. The Wilderness Publications. Retrieved Jan. 25,2009 from http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/10
0303_eating_oil.html
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Sample, Ian. (2007). Global Food Crisis looms as climate change and population growth strip fertile land. The Guardian. Aug. 31, 2007, pg. 12. Retrieved Jan. 23, 2009
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The Fraser Institute at 30. (2004, Oct. 12). CBC News Online. Retrieved Jan. 23, 2009 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/fraserinstitute/#top
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Wilson, E.O. (2002). The Bottleneck. Scientific American. 289(2): 76-85, Retrieved Jan. 14, 2009
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Young, Anthony. (1999). Is there Really Spare Land? A Critique of Estimates of Available Cultivable Land in Developing Countries. Environment, Development and Sustainability. 1(1): 348-366