Human population growth and its effect environmental sciences. Assuming there is a carrying capacity for humans, how would you suggest that the population slow its growth and stabilize it at a sustainable number. Populations in developed countries trend toward using substantially. Human population and the environment population growth the origin of modern humans homo sapiens sapiens is still shrouded in controversy. Pdf population growth and environmental degradation. Population growth and earths human carrying capacity joel e. What are environmental problems due to population growth. Sir david king, science advisor to the uk government. Population growth and environmental degradation population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems. Describe how wealth and poverty, the status of women, and family planning programs affect population growth characterize the dimensions of the hivaids epidemic analyze relationships among changes in population size, economic development, and resource consumption at global and local scales. Unfortunately, while the human population grows exponentially, food production can only increase linearly. By focusing on population growth, what were doing is focusing on one aspect over which we dont really have personal control but nevertheless is already improving while ignoring all the other things we could be doing at a local or national level that actually do improve sustainability. Therefore this paper will discuss these two theories for population growth and their effect on the resources and environment of the earth. Human population growth ecology and the environment.
Civil war began, the population increased more than 30% per year. Human behavior and environmental sustainability rug. Pimentel introduction a h e a l t h y and prudently managed environment is a major benefit to humans and other species. Environmentalists considered that stance to be shortsighted because support for family planning is the most effective way to check population growth and relieve pressure on the planets environment, and as a result, the global gag rule was rescinded in 2009 by president obama but put back in. Human population has seen exponential growth over the past few. Oct 25, 2015 page 1 1 human population and the environment how to use this syllabus students. Population growth and ecological footprint its about. Projecting global population human population continues to increase r has declined over last few decades 1960 r 2. In many areas, especially the west, the practice of mining ground water to irrigate arid or semiarid land, which wont work in the long run, is becoming commonplace.
Population and the environment the link between population growth and environmental impact seems obvious at first glance. This paper summarizes research on the effect of population growth on environmental quality. Changes in a populations age composition will have severe consequences on the global economy, environment, and society bongaarts, 2009. Global population growth creates environmental problems. Furthermore, degradation of land, water, energy, and. National academy of sciences, national academy of engineering, and institute of medicine. Population growth archives population growth human rights. Introduction to population growth population genetics and.
Describe the historical pattern of growth of the worldwide human population since our origin. Compare and contrast define the term ecological footprint. Historic population chart students examine the changes. Different factors which plays a vital role are been discussed in detail. Human population size, growth, density and migration are underlying causes of biodiversity loss. It seems that modern humans appeared around 1,50,000 years bp before present and established in several parts of the world around 50,000 bp. More on population growth, ecological footprint, equity. This fact does not mean that human beings are plague on the land. Population growth is one of the major concerns of the present world as the human population is not a static factor. Population growth, resource consumption, and the environment. Pdf human population growth and wildlife extinction in. Aug 03, 2011 a brief discussion about the connection between human population growth and the natural environment. Unless the relationship between the multiplying population and the life support system can be stabilized, development programs, howsoever, innovative are not likely to yield.
One of the factors responsible for environment degradation is population growth or population density. Ppt human population growth and the environment powerpoint. The population growth is determined mainly by birth rate, death rate, and migration patterns immigration and emigration. Introduce the lectures with some facts about the importance of population growth. Jun 14, 2010 slower population growth has in many countries increased those countries ability to attack poverty, protect and repair the environment, and build the base for future sustainable development. Nov 04, 2014 environmental impacts of population growth big societies consume more resources compared to small ones, patterns of consumption and choices of technology may result in more environmental impacts compared to the number of people. These transformations are not automatic and their extent is influenced by social institutions. Human population growth and its effect environmental. Human geography effects of population on the environment. The effects on biodiversity 3 replies the massive growth in the human population through the 20th century has had more impact on biodiversity than any other single factor.
All life on earth obtains its food and other necessities from this environment. Impacts of population growth the 20th century was an unprecedented era of population growth. Environmental effects of human population growth emerge from interactions between national economic development and. It is a fact that the growth of human population is more stable in the developed countries, i. Both common sense and a large body of research make clear that the number of people living in a given land area has significant implications for the environment.
These faster growing populations can add pressure to local environments. Some scientists fear that global warming will lead to rising sea levels and extreme weather. Pdf human response to population growth and environmental. The rapid increase in population growth over the past few centuries has led to an increasing interest in, and a growing concern for population growth as one of the key threats to the environment. It is the belief of many, however, that zero population growth will be reached earlier by a catastrophic increase in the number of deathsmost probably from starvation.
Human population growth rate is even worse in the developing world. Population growth rates degree of industrialization relative prosperity gni ppp. The effect of population growth on environmental quality. However, the problem is bigger and more complex than just counting bodies. The challenge for environmental management david pimentel, x. Land transformations induced by the spatial expansion of agriculture are probably the major route by which population growth has affected features of the natural environment.
Although the global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, the number of people living on earth and sharing finite resources like water and food has grown by more than twothirds since then, topping out at over seven and a half billion today, and human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. Unlimited population growth leads to overcrowding, has adverse environmental implications, especially in urban areas it tends to reduce food, water, fuel, land and other natural resources. Population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems. With all these linkages between population growth and the environment. Interaction between population and environmental degradation core. As might be imagined population growth has positive and negative effects on development. In the process we have caused a lot of stress to the environment that we might end destroying ourselves. Students explore population growth, discuss potential issues associated with the worlds growing population, evaluate public policy in the area of population growth, and create population pyramids. Pdf the rapid increase of human population is putting an incredible strain on our environment. Human carrying capacity is therefore dynamic and uncertain. Human population and environmental problems environmental.
Thus, the ability to maintain sustainable development is becoming a major challenge to mankind. Things to be learned population growth, variations among nations population explosion family welfare program environment and human health human rights value education women and child welfare role of information technology in environment case studies mr. Many people worry that population growth will eventually cause an environmental catastrophe. The essay can include information gath ered from many sources including classroom teachers, lectures by guest speakers, libraries, par ents, from the web site, or this syllabus. Describe how the ecological footprint of an average american differs from that of a person living in a developing nation. It is not the census figures alone that need to be stressed, but an appreciation of the impact on natural resources of the rapid escalation in the. In spite of the increasing world population, the resources of the earth remain constant. This is a rate that for a human population can be sustained only by immigration.
World population growth and environmental degradation. If you plot this equation, you see a curve arching upward over time as the population increases exponentially, assuming no change in the rate. Since populations can grow exponentially, resource depletion can occur rapidly, leading to specific environmental concerns such as global warming, deforestation and decreasing biodiversity. Population growth and earths human carrying capacity.
Describe the causes of the changes in human population in the last 2000 years and remember to discuss all the negative consequences that have resulted from that increase. Aug 16, 2008 population growth and environmental degradation. In studying the population and land use relationship, it is essential to consider both numbers of people and their behavior. Population and the environment the impact of population growth on economic development is a complex issue. Start the discussion today with the notion of sustainability. Pdf human population growth and the demographic transition. Include in this historic overview the changes that have happened technologically, medically, culturally and nutritionally to result in. Downtrend of population size 9% between 20059% between. Is human population growth a threat environmental sciences essay. Notes human population and the environment notes edurev. Population growth global population growth year population in billions 1700 0. In fact, the global population has more than doubled just since 1950, when there were between 2. It is not the census figures alone that need to be stressed, but an appreciation of the impact on natural resources of the rapid escalation in the rate of increase of human population in the recent past.
At the root of all our environmental problems is population growth, and section 4. A threat to the environment can be in many different forms, such as soil erosion, climate change, deforestation, wastes, and. There is a deep relationship between population, health and environment. A brief discussion about the connection between human population growth and the natural environment. Weeks introduction human beings have been around for a long time, perhaps a million or more years, 1 but for most of that time the imprint of humans on the planet was scarcely noticeable. Page 1 1 human population and the environment how to use this syllabus students.
They not only limit population growth, but often drive existing populations well below their previous level. Rising population numbers clearly there is a relationship between population growth and environmental stress, but very little empirical evidence exists to prove or disprove the effects of population on the environment. Human population growth and the environment an overview human population growth and the environment human population an explosive growth human needs limited resources our natural environment under attack roles of technology and engineering an uncertain future humans are recent arrivals earth 5 billion years multicell biota 600 million years. Malthusian theory 1798 and 1803, republished 1960 stresses that the growth of human populations always tends to outstrip. Immigration, population growth, and the environment. In the last 200 years the population of our planet has grown exponentially, at a rate of 1. Population growth drives depletion of natural resources. Population, health, and the environment citation needed phe is an approach to human development that integrates family planning and health with conservation efforts to seek synergistic successes for greater conservation and human welfare outcomes than single sector approaches. Population summit of the worlds scientific academies.
Is human population growth a threat environmental sciences. One of the largest environmental effects of human population growth is the problem of global warming. Human population growth environmental science socratic. By suzanne york, amazing things can happen when local voices are heard. The formula for exponential population growth is nn 0 e rt where n 0 is the starting population, e is a logarithmic constant 2. How does the human population affect the environment.
Population in statistics, according to the oxford english dictionary is a totality of objects or individuals under consideration, of which the statistical attributes may be estimated by the study of a sample or samples drawn from it. The complexity of the interrelationships between population growth and environmental concerns is often obscured when the global picture is presented. Human population and the environment linkedin slideshare. Human population is currently growing exponentially.
The united states is experiencing rapid population growth at a rate higher than almost any other developed country along with increased food production, criss said. If it continued at this rate, with the population doubling every 40 years, by 2600 we would all be standing literally shoulder to shoulder. Assess and explain human activities that influence and modify the environment such as global warming, population growth, pesticide use, and water and power consumption. Checks on population growth densityindependent checks on population growth the vagaries of the physical environment, for example, drought, freezes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, often check population growth. It is also essential to consider countries or regions in broader international. The interactions between human population dynamics and the environment have often. A threat to the environment can be in many different forms, such as soil erosion, climate change, deforestation, wastes, and pollution.
Heading toward zero population growth zpg the case of sweden sweden demographic transition completed births almost equal to deaths novery little poverty one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world heavily involved in international development aid and family planning natural increase approximately 0. Human population growth and the environment human population an explosive growth human needs limited resources our natural environment under attack a free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. Explain why do environmental scientists consider limitless human population growth a problem. Understanding human population growth lesson planet. In particular, population density plays the most important role in shaping the socioeconomic environment. Human population as a dynamic factor in environmental degradation. Population growth is the increase in the number of people living in a particular area.
We need to have, report and act upon, accurate information about the relationship of our economic activity to the environment. Neoclassical theory of population growth stated that increased human activities would. Management and monitoring of the environment, and developing technologies to prevent acid rain and all pollutions is far more important than focusing on pie the in sky schemes of controlling population numbers in a democracy, maybe we should all return to a dictatorship it the only way you will truly be able to control population numbers, i am. The consequences of today, for tomorrows world part ii population growth human rights, the economy, and the environment on the consequences of today, for tomorrows world part i solutions for saving elephants on world elephant day population growth human rights, the economy, and the environment on earth overshoot and ending our.
Our growing population also adds to the enormous amount of waste. The variety and complexity of populationenvironment associations varies with spatial aggregation. Changes in a population s age composition will have severe consequences on the global economy, environment, and society bongaarts, 2009. Global population is projected to grow to anywhere between 8 billion and 11 billion by the middle of the century, with much of the growth expected to take place in the humid tropics whose ecosystems harbor the planets richest forms of biodiversity. Human population growth and wildlife extinction in ugalla ecosystem, western tanzania article pdf available in international journal of sustainable development 52. Impact of a growing population on natural resources. Its effects are felt on the natural environment also. Environmental impacts of population growth big societies consume more resources compared to small ones, patterns of consumption and choices of technology may result in more environmental impacts compared to the number of people. Human population and the environment 215 3 to 4 billion, in 14 years. The editorinchief is dr elizabeth fussell, 1 associate professor of population studies and environment and society at brown university. In a remote pocket of the island of indonesian borneo, a small organization is working with the local community to link the issues of human health and protecting a fragile environment in an effort to build a.
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