APES Final Project Research Paper

Reducing Overpopulation
Alexis Gaviola

Running head: REDUCING OVERPOPULATION

Table of Contents
Abstract/Position..2
History of Overpopulation...3
Causes of Overpopulation....3-4
Consequences of Overpopulation.4-5
Proposed Solutions to Overpopulation5
The Opposition.5-6
Pictures.6
References....7

Running head: REDUCING OVERPOPULATION

Abstract/Position
This paper explores the topic of overpopulation, how it is negatively affecting the world, and
ways to create a smaller, more sustainable population. As of 2015, planet Earth housed more than
7.2 billion people. Since then, that number has increased significantly. Overpopulation refers to
when a population of a species exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment. As the human
population continues to grow, the number of environmental problems and the demand for
resources grow as well. To reduce overpopulation and create a more sustainable environment,
society needs to be educated on the effects of overpopulation and the importance of family
planning and the various birth control methods. A smaller, more sustainable population will
allow for an increase in resources needed for survival such as food and water and more space
around the world. It is vital to educate the future parents of this generation as they hold the fate
of the planet in their hands.

Running head: REDUCING OVERPOPULATION

Reducing Overpopulation (History)

Since the time of the Bubonic Plague in the 1400s, the population has been steadily
increasing. Within the last 50 years, however, the human population has increased significantly.
According to the Population Reference Bureau, In 1950, the world had 2.5 billion people; and
in 2005, the world had 6.5 billion people. Currently, the human population is around 7.2 billion
and is growing at a rate of 78 million people per year. Many countries, like China and India, have
taken steps to reduce overpopulation through strict family planning policies. From 1979 to 2015,
families in mainland China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau, were allowed to only have one
child. If these families did not respect the policy, they would be subjected to a fine. While this
rule has helped slow population growth, it has created some unforeseen consequences. Since
China is a patriarchal society, having a son is...far more important than having a daughter
(Tong, 2014), which means many baby girls have been abandoned or mistreated. Unless other
countries are able to come up with ways to combat the growing population, they may have to
adopt family planning policies like Chinas
Causes of Overpopulation
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, ...the worlds population hardly budged (Tong,
1994). The Industrial Revolution was a time where great advances were made in technology in
science. These advances are more than likely responsible for the rapid population growth the
world is experiencing. Some of these advances include an increase in food production and
distribution and improvements in public health and medical technology. In the last 150 years,
farmers have been gained the ability, ...to increase food production geometrically in some
places (Kinder). As food production increases, the amount of people dying from starvation
decreases. Along with an increase in food production, improvements in public health have
3

Running head: REDUCING OVERPOPULATION

contributed to population growth. Public health refers to a countrys ability to have enough food
and water for its citizens to live. For years, access to safe drinking water has been related to the
contraction of various diseases. By 1990, however, access to safe drinking water in numerous
countries has increased by 75 percent. This improvement has increased the health of millions
around the world. In addition to improvements in public health, advancements in the field of
medicine have played a role in population growth. Vaccines, for example, have eliminated some
of the worlds deadliest diseases, like polio and the measles. Although these improvements have
positively impacted human health, they have also come with some unexpected consequences.
Consequences of Overpopulation
As the human population increases, resources needed for survival become more and more
scarce. Currently, the main resource that is in danger of reaching a dangerously low level as the
population grows is water. When discussing the worst-case scenario for overpopulation,
Population Institute President, Lawrence Smith said, If the water goes, the species goes
(Hoevel, 2008). Although the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of the Earths water, only 3
percent of the water is used to sustain ourselves. In the future, people around the world may not
have any access to water fit for consumption. Along with a lack of water, overpopulation can
affect waste management. For example, in London, England in 1830, they faced a population
boom which resulted in their infrastructure failing to support the excess waste, leading to
numerous outbreaks of Cholera. While situations like these may not occur in the developed
world, in the developing world, these scenarios are, ...very, very real (Hoevel, 2008) and may
happen in the future. Overpopulation has also aggravated numerous environmental problems
such as pollution and global warming. As of 2013, the world population was projected to reach
9.6 billion by 2050. If this prediction becomes a reality, planet Earth could be in grave danger.

Running head: REDUCING OVERPOPULATION

Proposed Solutions to Overpopulation
To combat overpopulation, many countries have adopted family planning policies like
Chinas one-child policy. Most of the time, however, these policies come with unwanted
consequences such as the favoritism of one gender over the other. Solutions to rapid population
growth that many countries should consider include providing access to birth control around the
world, better education on ways to prevent pregnancies, and providing women with the right to
control their bodies. According to research from the Guttmacher Institute, an organization
committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world, 215
million women want to avoid getting pregnant but have no access to contraception (Kristof,
2011). Making contraceptives universally available could slow population growth by a
significant amount. In addition to universal birth control, women around the world need to be
taught that they can decide when they want to have children. Educated women are more likely to
have fewer children than those that are uneducated. As the Population Institute said, In times
past, the biggest barrier to reducing birth rates has been a lack of access to contraceptives, today,
the biggest barrier is gender inequality (Kristof, 2011). As the world greets the seven-billionth
human, family planning could, ...delay the arrival of the eight billionth (Kristof, 2011).
The Opposition
Although some people believe overpopulation is a myth and that, there really is no such
thing as a human carrying capacity (Ellis, 2013), research has shown that the Earth is running
out of resources to sustain life. Carrying capacity is defined as, the number of people...that a
region can support without environmental degradation. The steadily increasing world
population has already negatively impacted the environment. The Earth is not able to replenish
the resources needed to survive in time with the amount of children being born. Most of the

Running head: REDUCING OVERPOPULATION

environmental damage of the last 50 years is more than likely related to the growing population.
Deforestation has occurred to create space for everyone and the hunting of wildlife, as well as
pollution, has increased. There is clear evidence that shows the growing population of this planet
has had a sever impact on the number of natural resources available.
Pictures

Running head: REDUCING OVERPOPULATION

References
Ellis, Erle C. "Overpopulation Is Not the Problem." The New York Times. The New York Times,
13 Sept. 2013. Web. 08 June 2016.
Hoevel, Anne. "Overpopulation Could Be People, Planet Problem." CNN. Cable News Network,
8 Apr. 2008. Web. 08 June 2016.
"Human Population Growth and Extinction." Human Population Growth and Extinction. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 08 June 2016.
James, Barry. "Overpopulation Has a Brief History." Www.nytimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 June
2016.
Kinder, Carolyn. "98.07.02: The Population Explosion: Causes and Consequences." 98.07.02:
The Population Explosion: Causes and Consequences. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 June 2016.
Kristof, Nicholas. "The Birth Control Solution." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02
Nov. 2011. Web. 08 June 2016.
"Overpopulation: Causes, Effects and Solutions." ConserveEnergyFuture. N.p., 03 June 2013.
Web. 08 June 2016.
Tong, William. "Why China's One Child Policy Is Actually a Brilliant Solution to Reduce
Overpopulation." The Huffington Post. N.p., 03 Mar. 2014. Web. 08 June 2016.
"World Population to Increase by One Billion by 2025." UNFPA. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 June 2016.