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SophiaKnapp
English1010038
KellyTurnbeaugh
22February2015

TheOverpopulationCrisis
ItsamorbidlysunnydayinDehli,India.Oldwomenarescatteredalongtheroadside
clothedinrags,thestenchoffecesoverwhelmsthecourtyardaschildrenplayintheirownfilth.
Fliessurroundtheheadsofmenastheystarelifelesslyintonothing.(Self,62)Thisisthe
picturepaintedbyjournalistWillSelfafteratriptoIndiain2012.Hestates,Inmyvisualfield
alonetheremusthavebeen5,000peoplesuffering.Itseasytohearthesestoriesandpushthem
aside,aswethinkwearentdirectlyaffectedbytheconditionsinothercountriesthataresofar
awayfromourown.Howeverthiscouldntbefurtherfromthetruth.Ourplanetissuffering
immensely.Thecurrentglobalwarmingcrisisandwatershortagesthatplacesascloseas
Californiaaregoingthroughhavecometomyattention.AsIhaveresearchedtheseissues,ithas
becomeapparenttomethatoneofthebiggestproblemswearehavingrightnowis
overpopulation.IncountriessuchasIndiatheproblemismoreobvious,butittheentireglobeis
affected.Weareaspeciesthathasovercomemanyhardshipsandsetbacksincludingfamine,
plagues,andmanywarsthathavethreatenedoursurvival.Inthemoderndayourtechnological
advancesandstrongwilltosurvivehaveallowedustopopulateatanexponentialrate.Whilewe
shouldcelebrateourachievementsandsurvival,wehavecometoapointinhistorywhereour
planetisstartingtoweaken.Wedonthavethekindofresourcesandcleanwateravailabletous
tosupportanotherfewbillion.


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Overpopulationisatopicthatmanypeoplefindtaboo.PaulEhrlich,authorof
The
PopulationBoom
said,Overpopulationcombinedwithoverconsumption,istheelephantinthe
room.Wedontreallytalkaboutoverconsumptionbecauseofignoranceaboutthetrue
ecologicallimitsoftheEarth.(Whitty)Thereisalotofoptimismsurroundingtheissue,and
whileIsupportbeingpositive,itisdangeroustooverlookthefactshere.Religionplaysalarge
roleinthisoptimism.InGenesis1:28itsays,AndGodblessedthem,andGodsaiduntothem,
Befruitful,andmultiply,andreplenishtheearth.ThiscommandmentofGodhascausedmany
areligiousfollowertohavekidsbeyondtheirownmeans.Anotherreligiousviewthatcauses
optimismaboutoverpopulationisthebeliefintherapture.Theraptureissupposedtohappen
duringthesecondcomingofJesusChrist.Itisbelievedthateveryonewillbejudgedandeither
takenuptoheavenorburnedalivedependingontheirworthiness.Therearemanydifferent
interpretationsoftheraptureamongvariousChristianfaiths,buttheyallagreethatsuchathing
willoccur.Withabelieflikethis,thoughtsthatweareoverpopulatingthisplanetarepushedto
thewayside.Overpopulationseemslikenoproblemwhenweareallgoingtoleavethisplanetby
theraptureinthenearfutureanyways!Besidesreligion,otherviewpointsIhavereadhavemade
theargumentthatwehavesomuchspaceonthisplanet,howcouldwerunout?Thereare
246,000feetoflandperpersononthisearth,notincludingantarctica.(Kainz,367)Whileyes,
thisfactremainstrue,itisntthespacetobeworriedabouthere.Itistheresourceswehaveto
surviveaswellastheirreversibledamagewearedoingtoourplanetthatworryme.
Noonecandenythedramaticshiftthathasoccurredinourweatherpatternsandnumber
ofresourcesinthepastdecade.Increasingtalkandspeculationaboutglobalwarminghas
becomequitethedebateamongscientistsandpoliticians.AsIvebecomemoreawareofthese


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changes,ithasoccurredtomethatsomethingbigishappeningonaglobalscale.Through
researchIhavecometotheunderstandingthatitisnottheEarthdoingthistous,itisusasa
peopleaffectingtheplanetthatgivesuslife.Themorepeopleontheplanet,themoreweuse
fossilfuels.Thesefossilfuelsareomittinggasesthatcauseawarmingoftheatmosphere.This
warmingcreatesmeltingofglaciers,whichwilleventuallycausefloodingofcoastalcities.It
alsocausesweatherchangesaffectingcropsandseasons.ZoeSchlanger,aNewsweekreporter
wroteanarticleaddressingmanyoftheseissues.Shetalkedabouthowfarmlandswillturnto
deserts,andwewillbeforcedtocomeupwithnewtechnologiestogrowfoodtosurvive.
(Schlanger)Wearealreadyusingnewagriculturaltechnologiestosupportourevergrowing
population.BigcompaniesareusingthehelpofGeneticallyModifiedOrganismstokill
pesticidesinordertogrowcropsatafasterrate.However,asstatedbyresearchphysicist
GioiettaKuo,theseGMOsdonotproduceyieldsmuchabovethatoftraditionalmethods,and
arepotentiallyharmfultousconsumers.(Kuo25)JuliaWhitty,anenvironmentalcorrespondent
forMotherJonesmagazineshedsomemorelightonthisissue.Throughherownresearchshe
hascometotheconclusionthattheGreenRevolutionhasfedbillionsandhasprovidedthe
worldwithsomehope,butthechemicalfertilizersofnitrogenandphosphorousaregoingtorun
out.Pesticides,herbicidesandfertilizersthatgrewthefoodthatsustainedthepopulationgrowth
inthetwentiethcenturyalsocausedpollutedland,waterandair.(Whitty)Inthenineteenth
century,BritisheconomistThomasMalthusinhiswork
AnEssayonthePrincipleofPopulation
predictedthattheincreaseinpopulation,ifitcontinuedattherateitwas,wouldeventuallynot
beabletofeeditself.Thistheoryisbecomingmoreevidentasweareerodingsoiltentimes
fasterthanitcanreplenish.InZoeSchlangersNewsweekGlobalarticleshestates,Plantand


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animalspeciesaregoingextinctatleast1,000timesfasterthanbeforehumanarrival.Shealso
saidthatweareinthemidstofthebiggestextinctionsincedinosaurs.(Schlanger)Atthepresent
timetherearealready1billionpeopleonEarththatareonthestarvationlevelandevenmore
donthaveaccesstocleanwater.OnOctober31st2011,theUNcelebratedtheworlds7
billionthbabytobeborninthePhilippines.Theythencalmlypredictedthatwecantpossibly
fitninebillionpeopleonthisplanetbecauseourwaterandagriculturalresourcesarealready
insufficientforoursevenbillion.(Kuo24)Ithasbeensaidthatiftwentypercentofour
populationwastogodisappear,alotoftheproblemswefacetodaywouldgoaway.
Iwasledtothenaskthequestion,howhasthispopulationgrowthskyrocketedsomuch
withinthepastcentury?Ihavefoundthattherearemanyfactorsthathavecausedthisgrowth.
Newtechnologieshaveallowedpeopletosurvivediseaseandinjurylikeneverbefore.Women
thatcouldnthavechildrenbeforecannowbecomepregnantwiththehelpofadoctor.Onthe
othersideofthings,thegrowthinpopulationismostproblematicindevelopingcountries.Africa
andIndiaareseeingtheworstofit.Itisunderdevelopedfailedstateswithrelativelyuneducated
populationsthathavemaintainedhighbirthrates.(Kuo,27)Thesecountriesdonthavethe
resourcesavailabletothem,ortheeducationneededforfamilyplanningandcontraceptives.Itis
estimatedthat222millionwomenwantcontraceptivesinthisworld,butcantgetthem.Political
leadershipandreligiousfactorshavemadeitsothatmanywomenhavenochoiceinthematter.
RichardCizik,exVicePresidentoftheNationalAssociationofEvangelicals,shedsomelighton
thisissue.Christiansbelievethatcontraceptivescondonesexoutsideofmarriageandpromotes
abortions,butCizikthinksthatinreality,accesstopreventativesishealthy.Itallowspeopleto
planwhentheywillhavechildren,andhelpscurboverpopulation.Cizikcallsfamilyplanninga


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greentechnology.(Ellison)Placeswherefamilyplanningisntavailabletomostofthe
communityoverpopulationishittingthehardest.InKenyaanursewassentencedtodeathfor
performingabortions.Kenyaspopulationhasexploded.Womentherehaveafertilityrateof4.5
childrenonaverage,incomparisontotherestoftheworldwith2.3childrenonaverage.
(Schlanger)
Allofthisinformationseemsabitoverwhelming,buttherehavebeeninstanceswhere
differentmethodshaveworkedonputtingahaltontheeverincreasingpopulation.GioiettaKuo
providedmewithsomeinterestinginformationaboutthepopulationproblemsintheMiddle
East.In1979AyatollahKhomeincametopowerinIraq.HeclosedtheShahsfamilyclinicsin
ordertopromotepopulationincreaseinhiscountry.Khomeinthoughtthatifhehadmore
soldiersinhisarmyhewouldbeatanadvantage.However,thisprovedtobetroublesome.The
streetsofIraqbecameovercrowdedandthecountrycouldntprovidefortheincreasein
numbers.Hethenputintoplaceanaggressivefamilyplanningclinicandsexeducation
programs.Thisactuallyprovedverysuccessfulandtheywereabletoreducetherateofgrowth.
(Kuo,27)Anothermorecontroversialwayofpopulationcontrolwassuggestedin1967.AFord
Foundationsupportedaproposalforanannualapplicationofacontraceptivemisttobeput
overIndia,wherethepopulationincreaseisthemosttroublesome.(Schlanger35)Theyalso
proposedcashincentivestothepooriftheyagreedtobesterilized.Chinaisanothercountry
whereeffortshavebeenmade.Chinahasupheldthetwochildperfamilyruleinmostoftheir
country,butinruralareasthelawisntenforcedandthepopulationcontinuestoincrease.
Althoughmanyscientistsandresearchersagreethatweareinanoverpopulationcrisis,
thereishopeasweareaspeciesthathaveovercomemanythingsthathavethreatenedour


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survivalbefore.Ifwearetosavethisbeautifulplanetinwhichwelive,itisgoingtobecrucial
thatwesticktogetheringivingback.AfterresearchingtheoverpopulationcrisisatlengthIhave
cometoafewconclusions.Recyclingwillbecomemoreimportant,aswellasconserving
energy.Environmentalcontrolsneedtobeputinplace,aswellasmorelocalagricultureto
decreasetransportationfromplacetoplace.Sexeducationandfamilyplanningwouldgreatly
benefitourworld,butofcoursereligiousviewstendtohaltthistacticfromreachingall
communities.Religiousandpoliticalviewsaside,wemustmakeastandbeforewerunour
planetdry.Itistimetogivebacktoaworldthatgivesusallithas.


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WorksCited
Ellison,Jesse.CanSafeSexSaveEarth?
Newsweek.
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Kainz,Howard.SexualMores,EthicalTheories,AndTheOverpopulationMyth.
Hythrop
Journal
49.3(May2008):366368.
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Kuo,Gioietta.MegaCrisis?OverpopulationistheProblem.
WorldFutureReview(World
FutureSociety).
1Sept.2012:2330.
EbscoHost.
Web.2April2015.
Schlanger,Zoe.TooManyPeople.
NewsweekGlobal.
26December2014:3042.
EbscoHost.
Web.2April2015.
Self,Will.MadnessofCrowds.
NewStatesman.
6February2015:62.
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Whitty,Julia.TheLastTaboo.
MotherJones.
35.3(June2010):2443.
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