What do you mean by overpopulation? If in a particular area, more than a defined number of people start living then we will say that the area is populated. But still the number increases at so much level that it becomes difficult to live then it is called over populated.
Our world’s population is about 6.8 billion which is increasing at the rate of one and a half million every week. Our earth is having dimension of 8000 miles wide and 24000 miles in circumference over which two third areas is acquired by water bodies like oceans, seas, lake, ponds and rivers.
Certain Questions
Do you know how we have reached at this point of population? How much time it took to double or quadruple our population? Can it be zero population growth attainable or not?
What are the effects and causes of human overpopulation? What can be the possible solution of growing population or decreasing natural resources?
Table of Contents
Past of humanity
The human family in early days it was known by hominids has populated Earth as according to the fossil record of 5 to 6 million years. We have transitioned through different levels of intelligence and Homo sapiens which are known as sensible humans emerged about one and a half million years ago.
Earth has been evolving for the past 4-5 billion years and for 5 to 6 million years we as hominids have been here. From starting years we were hunters and gatherers. We started domestication to expand our livelihood. We expanded our civilization. We made techniques to simplify our work.
We transitioned from civilization to industrialization era. We again changed our self from industrialization to high tech information era in which we are living currently.
We made advancements in medicine to increase our age from 60 to 80 years span. In 1960 our population was nearly 3 billion but coming to year 1999 our world population suddenly doubles to 6.1 billion and till 2020 may be our population reach to strength of 10 billion. This exponential growth of population has to be controlled by us only.
Effects of Overpopulation
As birth rate is increasing as compared to death rate, natural resources are being utilized at faster rates and their replacement is not available with us. To keep up the pace and standard of living, we are taking resources without thinking about its effects on nature.
We are damaging out ecosystem. There is a huge depletion in our natural resources as our fisheries, forests, croplands, glaciers, and animal and plant species.
We are destroying our earth at very high pace and it will result in the sixth great extinction which will be caused due to our selfishness and not any other. At this pace if we go on continuously then natural calamities will become common as every effect is related to each other in certain ways.
Our Ecosystem
With new and advanced pumping techniques we made bore wells at homes. We are draining the ground water level at very high speed. Earlier water level was 20 feet under the surface but it has been reduced to more than 100 feet.
More over the ground water is polluted; we cannot use the water directly for drinking. Similarly, we are polluting continuously our air, soil and water.
We are destroying our atmosphere mostly ozone layer which is protecting our earth from harmful ultraviolet rays of sun which causes global warming which will ultimately increase the earth’s temperature and hence it will become difficult for us to survive.
Result of global warming: heat waves, forest fires, species extinction, rising sea levels and melting glaciers.
Causes of Overpopulation
As our growth and population is increasing day by day. A day will come that output of our mistakes will have to face by our future generation.
By mistakes we meant that no fuel, deforestation, extinction of animal species and plant, floods, Tsunami, volcanic eruption and many more. To control the destruction education is the only source of knowledge and enrichment of youngsters.
We are here for very short time but our next generation has to stay here so we have to take certain steps in order to control the excess usage of resources.
Better education or awareness regarding the excessive wastage of our natural resources by the means newspapers, televisions or radio are the main option to stop the devastation.
Government should check regularly the overpopulation in a particular geographical area. Best way to control the population is birth rate control which is in the hands of husband and wife.
We are forced to use limited land area because most of the surface of earth is becoming desert or drought areas. Family planning information is the plus point in controlling the population. Humans desire a peaceful state but if number increases then it will affect our security and safety.
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