Overpopulation

The most famous essay written about population was done by Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1843) in 1798; it was enititled "An Essay on the Principle of Population."

Malthus postulated two laws of the nature of mankind. First is that food is necessary for mankind to exist, and the second is that the passion between the sexes is necessary and will continue to remain in its present state. One of the ideas that Malthus brought forth was late marriage. Malthus practiced what he preached and married when he was 39, having become a professor of history and political economy.

Malthus wrote his essay because of the overpopulation and straining of resources in England at the time. Since the time of Malthus, the idea of overpopulation has spread. It is believed by many to be the cause of global warming, poverty, and the depletion of the earth's resources. Polls indicate that most Americans believe that the world is overpopulated, that population growth should be halted, and that there are too many people on the earth compared to its resources.

Places like Mexico City have severe pollution and poverty problems. Mexico City is also one of the most populated places in the world. Is this evidence that overpopulation is the cause of poverty and pollution? If so, why don't places like New York City have the extreme problems that Mexico City has? Could it be that the market system is responsible for living conditions?

The Reagan administration believed that the free market could take care of issues such as growth, pollution, and poverty. Reagan decided to keep the government out of these affairs. President Clinton, within a few days of taking office, reversed the Reagan-Bush policy and began steps to provide financing to the UN Funds for Population Activities and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

The UN supports a policy of not promoting abortion as an effective method of family planning, yet a safe abortion should be available to any woman who wants one. A safe abortion is one in which the minimal medical environment standards are present and the physician performing the operation has the proper skills.

Therefore, those who think that overpopulation is a real problem think that the solution for more quality in human life is less human life on earth.

However, there is not much evidence to support the overpopulation theory. Propaganda has made the theory popular. Both the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the US Department of Agriculture report that food production, per capita, has been increasing by about 1 percent a year since the 1940s. Overpopulation is not the cause of famine in Africa. War and governmental restrictions on farms can be found as the cause of food shortage there. Birth rates have been decreasing around the globe, while food and living space has been increasing. Poor living standards around the world can be blamed on lack of economic growth, not overpopulation.

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