The Environmental Politics of Population and Overpopulation (original) (raw)

Discussing why population growth is still ignored or denied

2016

Due to a number of factors we outline in this article, the issue of population growth has become removed from the sustainability discussion. In this article we explore some of the ethical presumptions that underlie the issues linking population growth and sustainability. Critics argue that action to address population creates social and economic segregation, and portray overpopulation concerns as being ‘anti-poor’, ‘anti-developing country’ or even ‘anti-human’. Yet, de-linking demographic factors from sustainability concerns ignores significant global realities and trends, such as the ecological limits of the Earth, the welfare and long-term livelihood of the most vulnerable groups, future prospects of humanity, as well as the ecosystems that support society.

Population and environment in the twenty-first century

Population and Environment, 2007

In the past 50 years global population grew by 3.7 billion. There is a large unmet need for family planning and wherever women have been given the means and the information to decide if or when to have the next child, then family size has fallen, often rapidly. However, since the UN 1994 Cairo conference on population and development, support for international family has collapsed and fertility declines in many of the poorest countries have stalled. Amongst some of the most vulnerable groups family size has risen. The investment made in voluntary family planning will largely determine whether, in the next 50 years, the global population grows to something less than 8 billion or to over 10. The trajectory taking us to the higher figure could jeopardize any possibility of transitioning the global economy to a biological sustainability. Much precious time has been lost. Almost all the additional growth in population will take place in the world's poorest countries, and it is imperative that the international community act to improve access to family planning in those countries, within a human rights frame framework.

Environmentalism and Contraceptive Use: How people in less developed settings approach environmental issues

Population and Environment, 2005

The rise in environmental concerns around the globe has prompted increasing research on the links between such concerns and behavior. However, most studies have focused on pro-environmental behaviors in affluent western societies, such as willingness to pay for environmental protection, pro-environmental political actions, and consumption patterns. Using multiple data sets from the Chitwan Valley Family Study in Nepal, this paper examines the impact of environmental perceptions on contraceptive use in a rural agricultural setting. The results of our analyses show that perceptions about certain aspects of the environment are related to individuals' subsequent use of contraceptives. Specifically, those individuals who think that their environment-agricultural productivity-has deteriorated are more likely to use contraceptives than those who think that their environment has improved or has remained about the same. This study thus provides a first step in our understanding of the relationships between environmental perceptions and fertility behavior in a less developed setting.

Understanding The Over-population Crisis

Egyptian STEM schools, 2020

Over-population is a great Problem for many countries. This research looks into all possible solutions for this problem. World population has jumped from about 2.5 billion in 1951 to 7.8 billion in April 2020 , 212% increase. Over-population has been an issue for many countries especially in Africa, as Africa has the highest fertility rate ,children per woman, and Africans are low on resources especially for those who live in the middle of Africa ,in other words, near the equator, Because of its hot weather and being low on water, it is optimum environment for spreading diseases and droughts which its direct relation to overpopulation was later discovered resulting in lack of resources and slowness of economy development. Human Resources management has important terminology which need to be understood before getting into our main topic: fertility rate is the average children per woman, birth rate is the average number of children born per year and death rate is the number of deaths per year, natural change is the birth rate minus the death rate . Social Scientists have many theories on what causes over-population, Some suggest that poverty is the main cause of over-population as it is seen in most poor countries like in Africa unlike rich countries in Europe. They suggest that families try to overcome their poor condition by having more children. But other scientists argue that it can be correlation and something else is causing both of them. They suggest that it is a high death rates. Also, through comparing between poor Countries and rich Countries, it can be notice that in poor countries, death rates are high as of that most families give birth to many children. There are other suggested causes like lack of education and child labor. Over-population can cause many serious problems especially for poor countries. For example, It can cause lack of water in developing countries because as the population grow, water consumption increases. For countries that do not have a fresh stable water source, This can lead to droughts and lower life expectancy. Also, population growth could cause Extinction of wild life and pollution because forests and natural environments for various animals are cut down to free more space for buildings and cities. green house effect was learned in (CH.2.11) about and learned In (ES.2.10) about the role of plants in stabilizing the carbon dioxide percentage and the role of forest in keeping biodiversity in (BI.2.12). For These reasons, Countries tried to solve this issue, because of its significant impact on the economy and the productivity. Some of these solutions were the “one-child-policy” and “two-child-policy” tried by China to control population growth using the law. The Results of them were very fast. Other places tried to control over-population by focusing on education especially for girls like in Europe in the 19 th century. To conclude, This research will focus on these prior solutions and others and discuss why they work.

Are We Ethically Obligated to Curb Population Growth?

2018

There is no serious dispute that climate change, deforestation, and global warming are only some of the gravest problems threatening our environment. What is contested amongst experts today, however, is identifying the causes actualizing these threats and developing solutions to address them accordingly.

Overpopulation and the Impact on the Environment

2017

How does access to this work benefit you? Let us know! Follow this and additional works at: http://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc\_etds Part of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Education Policy Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Growth and Development Commons, Health Economics Commons, Health Policy Commons, International and Area Studies Commons, International Relations Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Urban Studies Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning Commons

Population and Environment: A US and International Perspective

2000

Together we live at a time when the world population has just tripled and is still swiftly doubling in size. Every second 4.2 people are born and 1.7 die; for every two places made available, five people are here to fill the loss. A book about how human beings have become a key ingredient influencing this living planet's future must evaluate how we number, well over six billion, with another billion people expected in twelve years. For example, arable land per person has decreased by half in fifty years. Industrial fuels are altering the atmosphere faster than our societies are adapting. Population doubled in just a lifetime considering 2.5 billion people lived on earth in 1950. World population will double again in 49 years. Soon there will be 10 billion people, because half of the world's people are not yet 15 years old. This change is so fast that any significant discussion of demographic impacts must focus on mastering the forces driving this growth rate, the accelerating breadth of our effects, the width of the wake this change has, and the persistent depth of impacts over time we are having on coming generations. As one species, Homo sapiens, the human family is altering the earth's vegetative cover, the productivity of planet's waters and global air quality. As surrounding elements change, the character of society alters our personal behavior. Once mammoth elemental forces such as air and oceans are being reduced to mere waste receptacles by current human population growth, appetites and consumption. Equally important, the once irreversible character of water, energy, air and land -natural elements-are being and will continue to be adversely affected unless we change human habits. Can we adapt quickly enough to protect the world we are noticeably altering?