According to Chris Packham, naturalist, Population Matters Patron (born 1961), "There's no point bleating about the future of Pandas, Polar bears, and tigers when we're not addressing the one single factor that's putting more pressure on the ecosystem than any other namely the ever-increasing size of the world's population".
Population explosion is the key issue which is behind exasperating pollution, global warming and climate change, unsustainable resource use, the biodiversity crisis, intensive farming practices, and so on. Global human population growth increases to around 83 million or 1.1% per year. It has expanded from 1 billion in 1800 to 7.774 billion in 2020. Scientists predict to have 8.6 billion population by mid-2030 and 9.8 billion by mid-2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100. But the earth's maximum carrying capacity is 9 billion to 10 billion people. To stabilize or reduce population overgrowth is still feasible after materializing some essential measures.For the betterment of us and next generation, we need to acknowledge this key issue and it's solution.So,let's proceed without any delay to know all about them.
1. Unsustainable Resource Use:
The natural resources of the earth have severely depleted due to excessive consumption results from the human explosion.
• Water Scarcity: Despite having 75% water, only 2.5% of it is fresh water and less than 1% of the Earth's freshwater is within reach for mankind.
By 2025, more than 50% of the world's population will face the vulnerability of water scarcity. Humans consume freshwater 10 times faster than its being replenished. Population growth is exponential but natural water is finite.
• Depletion of Other Natural Resources: Since the human explosion occurred, finite natural resources like fossil fuels, arable lands, coral reefs, frontier forests also tended to descend as well. A study by the UNEP Global Environment outlook in which 1400 scientists worked for five years, got to find that "Human consumption had far outstripped available resources. Each person on Earth now requires a third more land to supply his or her needs than the planet can supply."
America uses 93% of non-renewable energy;among 93%,85% is fossil and 8% nuclear energy.If we cannot control it sharply, these resources will be ceased soon.
2. Biodiversity Crisis
Species Extinction: The greatest mass extinction of species is occurring at rates 1000 to 10,000 times faster than normal as the population explodes. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that of the 63,837 species examined worldwide,19,817 are threatened with extinction nearly a third of the total (2012). Nearly 34% of fishes are being extinct because of over-fishing. We are losing 30,000 species per year and 3 species per hour. The above chart shows the correlation between population explosion and species extinction.
Habitat Loss: As a driving force behind the loss of the ecosystem (rainforests, wetlands, coral reefs, Arctic ice), population explosion can be called the culprit. Due to maintaining the huge population, human beings are obliged to cut down trees at random and cause deforestation. Once 14% of the Earth's land surface was rainforests whereas now that is less than 6%. Scientists estimate that human beings will consume the rest remaining rainforests in less than 40 years at the current rate of deforestation. In the U.S.,53% of original wetlands are already lost (104 million acres). Almost 70% of wetlands have been destroyed in Europe.
3 . Pollution:
Mainly we can see four types of pollution called air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and sound pollution in the globe.
Air Pollution: Particles from car emissions, chemicals, burning fossil fuel, dust emit largely as more population added. That is because more urbanization, energy consumption, transportation/motorization accelerate the emission of particulate matter (PM), Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Carbon dioxide, and Carbon monoxide (CO). Recent evidence evolves on respiratory and cardiovascular effects being associated with exposure to short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution.
Water Pollution: As more footprints are seen, more insecticides, pesticides, pathogens, and heavy metal concentrations tend to mix with water and pollute it largely. Since the 1950s human population had grown, with an exploding population and increasing industrialization and urbanization, water pollution by agricultural, municipal, and industrial sources has become a real concern for mankind.Thus,population explosion affects our day to day life largely.
Soil Pollution: Degrading the land by xenobiotics chemicals (Petroleum hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, solvents, lead, pesticides) through agricultural, industrial waste, and usage, the soil gets contaminated highly. As the population explosion happened, the soil started to lose its fertility (organic matter) and water holding capacity. Sandy lands that once had 2% organic matter are now below 1%. Besides, rich prairie loam which contained 8% or more, is now 4%.On the semiarid U.S. Great Plains soil productivity decreased 71% during the 28 years following sod breaking (Flach et al.,1997). Now the situation is even getting worse than this because of human explosion.
Sound Pollution: For supporting excess people, we need more vehicles having hydraulic or other horns. Exceeding the WHO value of 50 dB for residential areas,97.60 dB is now the average noise level.
4. Global Climate Change:
A 2009 study claimed that the "Carbon legacy" of just one child can produce 20 times more greenhouse gas than a person will save by driving a high-mileage car, recycling, using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, etc. Each child born in the United States will add about 9,441 metric tons of Carbon dioxide to the carbon legacy of an average parent." Because of this rapid Carbon dioxide emission, the average global temperature will increase to 1 to 2 degrees Celsius which causes climate change. This rising temperature is causing the change in patterns of rainfall, soil moisture, and other climatic factors including the frequency and intensity of the violent storm, thunderstorm, draught, and disruption of global food supply and ecology. The chart of worldwide Carbon dioxide emissions is given below.
Solution: Martin Luther King Jr, Clergyman and leading activist (1929-1968), "Unlike plagues of the dark ages or contemporary diseases we do not yet understand, the modern plague of overpopulation is soluble by means we have discovered and with resources we possess. What is lacking is not sufficient knowledge of the solution but universal consciousness of the gravity of the problem and education of the billions who are its victims."
Fewer Forks: Education and Policy Change (Joel Cohen): By spreading awareness and education, ensuring job facilities for woman, enacting birth control measures and regulations, and providing enough access to birth control devices and family planning, we can mitigate the adverse effects of overpopulation. In controlling the issue, we can follow the footprint of China, Iran, Thailand who minimized their overpopulation problem gradually. Therefore, China's famous one-child policy was praise-worthy and fruitful as well. Many reports say nearly 40% of pregnancies are not intended which equates to about 80 million unintended pregnancies worldwide. Accoriding to the United Nations Population Fund," 50 million women either not wanting their last child, not wishing another child, or expecting to space their pregnancies." So, undoubtedly the education and job facilities for women can build up awareness. The World watch Institute released the chapter," Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion.":
The " Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion" are as follows:
1. "Provide universal access to safe and effective contraceptive options for both sexes."
2. "Guarantee education through Secondary school for all, especially girls."
3. "Eradicate gender bias from the law, economic opportunity, health, and culture."
4. "Offer age-appropriate sexuality education for all students."
5. "End all policies that reward parents financially based on the number of children they have."
6. "Integrate lessons on population, environment, and development into school curriculum at multiple levels."
7. "Put prices on environmental costs and impacts."
8. "Adjust to an aging population instead of boosting childbearing through government incentives and programs."
9. "Convince leaders to commit to stabilizing population growth through the exercise of human rights and human development."
(Source: Worldwatch Institute, Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion)
Moreover, technical innovation can also be the savior of this issue.
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