Overpopulation
Overpopulation occurs when the number of people living in a specific region is greater than the number of people that the area can support.
[1] The people in the region receive insufficient resources to survive comfortably. As a result, in an overpopulated area, people have to struggle to obtain the resources they need in order to survive, which inevitably causes conflicts to break out. The greater the degree of overpopulation, the larger the magnitude of the conflict, simply because the more desperately these resources are needed, and the greater the lengths people are willing to go to obtain them.
Man needs more resources than an animal or a plant, as they lead more sophisticated lives. These resources include sufficient food, water, and generally speaking, energy. Man requires a certain standard of living beyond that of mere survival- his resource expenditure is therefore far greater than an animal's.
In nature, a lack of resources causes the organism to die off to a certain extent, as they cannot survive well. The next generation will then have more food to survive on, due to the reduced demand. This next generation breeds well, and only when there are too many organisms (overpopulation) will the lack of resources again check their growth.
However, in human society, this system of checks-and-balances does not apply. Man has a overwhelming ability to control his environment. Even as more people are born, Man remains capable of extracting resources (such as oil and food) when he needs them, using his special combination of tools and knowledge.
The question is, when will Man's need finally exceed his ability to extract resources? Man's ability is by no means infinite, and the resources are not renewing themselves as fast as we use them. The question we have to ask is: Will Man ever find himself out of resources? And what will be the consequences?
To answer this question, take a look at our case study, the imaginary "Lily Pond Parable".
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Sources:
(1) http://www.google.com.sg/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:overpopulation&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
CASE STUDY
The following is a thought-provoking scenario taken from a famous brain-teaser
[1] that serves well to depict the over-population scenario on Earth today. Take your time with the questions for best effect.
The Lily Pond Parable >>
1. There was a certain Pond Lily that began a mere square inch in area.
2. Every day, the Pond Lily doubled in size. Therefore, on the second day, it had an area of two square inches.
3. The pond that the lily lived in was large, yet on the thirtieth day, the lily covered the entire surface of the pond.
Think about these questions carefully in turn:
How would the pond look like as the 30th day approached?
What will begin to happen one minute past the 30th day?
When would preventative action become necessary to prevent unpleasant events? What must be done?
Regarding human population,
how long is a 'day' for us? What "day" is it for us?
Have you come to a conclusion? Move on to the Learn More section to find out more.
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Sources:
(1) http://www.ecofuture.org/pop/facts/exponential70.html
LEARN MORE
By 2100, the world will only have enough resources to support 2 billion people.
[1]
There are 6.7 billion people in the world today.
[2] As we can tell through simple calculation (approximate), we are now into our 31.16, or one-fifth through the 32nd day. Indeed, we are already well into red-zone. Currently, we need far more resources than what we can get our hands on.
The world's population is expected to grow by a factor of 1.33 within the next 40 years
[3], increasing the world population from 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion. This translates to a world population doubling time of around 50 years- this means that our shortage problems will be doubled every 50 years. There is no clear-cut solution to this population growth so far.
Food Distribution >>
Furthermore, despite our growing food problems, the resource that is most likely to affect the future generations (us!) is unlikely to be lack of food itself. Overall food shortage is conceivably well-taken-care-of in today's context because of the presence of many institutions that ensure food sustainability, such as the World Food Summit. Instead,
uneven global food distribution, which is relatively unaddressed, is causing much of the problem of starvation we are currently experiencing. For example, the African countries not only have the a great number of people, but also have the poorest soil. Its people cannot afford food, and therefore, there are problems with food insufficiency in Africa. These problems are however not brought on by world food shortage, but rather uneven food distribution in the world. This problem is very difficult to solve, as a massive amount of funding and effort from the other richer nations would be required to help these poor nations. Such support is hard to rally.
Energy >>
Some might think that water could be another difficult problem, but the main problem lies instead in energy. After all, water use is a cycle; the water returns to the oceans and seas
after use. On the other hand, with regards to energy, a war has already been fought for control of the oil fields in Iraq. The even greater conflict that would break out if the oil were to completely run out would be unimaginable.
The Hubbert Peak theory
[4] states that oil production, and indeed any natural resource, will peak at a certain point then begin to decline, as there is only a finite amount of natural resouce at any location. Furthermore, as the production rate decreases, more and more energy will be required to extract the same amount of oil, as it becomes scarcer and rarer. One day, the energy required to extract oil will cost more than the benefit the oil provides.
Our Generation >>
If nothing is done for this problem, then the world economy will be one day be seriously hit by oil deficiency and the world will not have enough liquid fuel to operate. If no alternative forms of energy are effectively put into place, a Malthusian catastrophe occurs- a world population so massive that the population has to return to subsistence farming, only able to produce enough to feed themselves and continue living, but never enough to progress.
[5]
The problem does not seem real to most of us teenagers. How many of us care about what is happening to others as long as we have food on the table, PSP in our hands and iPod earphones in our ears? Yet this problem is very real, and if nothing is done to stop it, then it WILL have a great impact on us for the majority of our lives.
So, what next? Read on to continue learning!
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Sources:
(1) http://www.ecofuture.org/pk/pkcapcty.html
(2) http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html
(3) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17605186
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubbert_peak_theory
(5) http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-malthusian-catastrophe.htm
DON'T WORRY!
Still, as with all such castastrophe-level possibilities, there isn't much to be gained by panicking. The situation isn't quite as bad as it seems- there are a few potential developments that can improve the situation.
Technology >>
Man may be able to continue maintaining its ability to extract resources from our environment- but this time, from sources that are very abundant in energy.
Solar and wind technologies are being developed at a good pace today. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) "are working in partnership with industry to develop larger, more efficient, utility-scale wind turbines for land-based and offshore installations, as well as more efficient, quieter small wind turbines for distributed applications". So great is this industry's success that "The United States can currently generate more than 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the wind, which is enough to power
2.5 million average American homes. Industry experts predict that, with proper development, wind energy could provide 20% of [the US'] nation's energy needs."
[1]
Awareness >>
And of course, conservation campaigns are much more effective these days when compared to the past when "Saving the Environment" wasn't even a phrase familiar to the average person. Also, as education improves, school children are raised with awareness of these problems. Thus, one can be sure that this problem will not be exacerbated out of public ignorance or lack of public attention.
Points to Note >>
With regards to the Lily Pond Parable, there are some points to take note of. The number of two billion as the number the world can comfortably support is just an estimate which assumes a high standard-of-living for everyone in the world. The sad truth is that this is not so; the amount of underprivileged peoples in the world, while decreasing, is sizeable. While their lives are poorly-led, they are still able to survive and adapt to their lifestyles. This indicates the possibility of inaccuracy in the number of two billion as the number of people the world can comfortably support, as mankind will theoretically be able to lower his living standards in times of crisis. If a new, lower, and acceptable standard of living is developed, mankind will also be able to stave off the problem of overpopulation for a time.
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Sources:
(1) http://www.nrel.gov/wind/
OUR PART TO PLAY
Learn to read the signs and symptoms >>
Here are some signs that overpopulation is starting to become a dangerous threat:
1) News and reports of people starving and living in poor conditions in parts of the world.
2) Facing a rise in prices of commodities such as oil and food, as they grow in demand.
Find some of these signs familiar? Well, it's only natural, because overpopulation IS already a serious threat.
Scientist in the making? >>
If you're interested in science, consider finding out more about the energy industry from the Internet or the library. New technologies are always constantly being developed and researched (such as solar or wind power), so this is one field you might wish to work in a few years down the road.
Save energy and resources on a personal basis >>
Teenagers have a definite part to play in this problem. The main problem is, as you have seen, energy shortage. We can all save energy in our own homes. Turn off the lights when they are not being used, turn off the taps after washing. Reuse, reduce, and recycle. All these ways of saving resources are well-known. The important thing is to take it a step further and actually abide by these rules. Don't use your air-conditioner unless it's scorching, and turn off the powerpoint switch instead of just the electrical appliances. Recycling your plastic bottles, used paper, metal cans et cetera at the nearest recycling centre is also a good way to conserve resources.
Charity- helping those already forced out of the pond >>
Make it a point to learn more about the world you're living in. Besides donating to credible organisations (such as
ServingOurWorld.org), do try to take time off and go down to help physically. Not only will you appreciate the problem in its entirety, you will also be able to help out the poor!
Below are a few interesting external links you might like to check out. They're about energy conservation.
Sciencedaily.com provides a wealth of interesting and up-to-date news on energy technology.
Also, Youtube has an intriguing video about solar-energy.
Back To Overview>>
