Week Thirteen Writing Assignment

The very biological purpose of the first cells in Earth’s history was to consume, grow, and
reproduce. Millions of years later, nothing has changed. The human population sits at around 7.3
billion and counting. Such a large population demands food, water, and shelter among many
other necessities that comprise their lifestyle. As a result, the problem of population growth
directly increases the unsustainability of natural resources.
With each passing day, over 200,000 people are born, a number that is more than twice
the amount of people that die in a day. While the net increase is incredibly high, it has decreased
from that of 1970. However, the planet adds 80 million people, begging the question of how
human population growth has sustained itself? The answer lies in the base population of the
world. Regardless of whether or not the rate of growth decreases, geometric growth is the
standard due to the already high population of people. Due to this, even if the rate of growth
(~1.1%) plummets further, perhaps half a percentage for example, the world will continue to add
millions of people. The reason for this is simply because 0.6% of 70 billion is still a profoundly
large number. At this rate, the population is projected to level at around 9 to 10 billion throughout
the 21st century. This large population requires a means of sustaining itself with food, water, etc.
According to scientific estimates, the Earth can hold 9 to 10 billion people, a number similar to
that of population projections. The key, however, is in distribution. The human population is
prone to societal ills that heavily proliferate inequality. The current geopolitical environment is
upheld by the exploitation of third world nations. In such, poverty is maintained by low wages
and child labour, so that commodities are mass produced in such a way that profits are optimal
for executives. With increased mechanization, this may be relieved slightly, but the problem of
poverty will persist. The commodities are there, in large quantities, but those living under such
conditions can’t truly afford much. What is worse is the amount of food that is either lost or
wasted (one third of those produced in a year), primarily in the developed world.
But looking at the other side of the issue, natural resources are, for the most part, limited.
In matters of energy, alternative fuel sources will overtake fossil fuels by 2034. While this
ensures that ample lighting and general electrical applications are met, the problem of
transportation comes up. More than a third of all vehicles will be electric by 2040, but until then,
oil is required. If trends continue, the 1.7 trillion barrels of proven oil reserves left in the world
creates tremendous strain as 35 billion barrels are used yearly. However, this is likely to drop
significantly as a large portion of petrol is used to generate electricity, an application that is
expected to decline. When getting to matters of water only seven thousandths of a percent is
readily usable fresh water. What is worse is that, according to the United Nations, water use has
grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an
estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the
world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.
This will likely put pressure on nations to invest in salt treatment plants. Deforestation is
widespread due to the need for paper, wood, etc. But looking at one of the most important natural
resources, land, another problem arises. The Earth has lost a third of arable land in the past 40
years. What is worse is that the world must grow 50 percent more food in order to accomodate a
population of nine billion by the middle of the century. As a result, food production has gotten
more and more intensive. The problem escalates due to the fact that intensive farming wears out
soil. Because of this, larger yields are most desirable with new strains of plants.
After looking through the many problems existing between human population growth and
natural resources, a very obvious conclusion is clear. Extensive population of the Earth drains
available resources. The endless search for more arable land for food production and livestock
grazing, and wood for fuel, construction, and energy has left previously undisturbed areas under
a state of transformation, turning into agricultural or pasture land, free of trees, or mined to
obtain energy sources. Humans also tend to settle in areas of high biodiversity, which often have
relatively rich soils and other attractions for human activities. This leads to great threats,
especially since many of these areas have critically endangered animals. While the animals
themselves are not necessarily resources, they often help keep ecosystems where resources can
be obtained balanced. Even clean energy sources present a little bit of threat to land usage. Wind
turbines, solar panel fields, etc. take up a great deal of space, but are more viable alternatives as
they can be set out in arid conditions or in sparse regions. Besides human need for land
occupation, the issue of pollution is daunting. The U.N. reports that about half of the world’s
population is subject to polluted drinking waters, which results in as many as 6 to 10 million
deaths annually. This often results from domestic sewage, erosion, pesticides, leaded gasoline,
and phosphate-based detergents. Landfills, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation systems, large factory
farms, grazing, and plowing all lead to soil pollution in addition to the loss of nutrients from
over-farming. The final area of human intervention comes in the form of extraction at a rate that
does not allow for a replenishing of the source, which primarily affects fossil fuels and various
minerals.
In the face of these difficult issues that have significantly affected the world since the
Industrial Revolution, it is clear that they will not be easily awd. Because of this, the road to
clearing them up will need to start on a smaller scale on the basis of conservation. For average
citizens, such as myself, it will require such things as cutting down on the amount of resources
that are used. Excessive food wastes will need to be decreased and eventually nearly eliminated
to help with the problems of distribution of food and that of landfills. Where possible, water
usage can be cut down significantly; mostly in instances excluding actual consumption. For
example, I may be able to limit the duration of my showers or use less water when shaving. This
limiting of extra usages will enable a decrease in overall demand for such. This process of
limiting the intake of resources can be further expanded to most other areas and is a good all-
around method to preserve natural resources by taking action on the small scale. Used resources
may further be reused. In the instances of plastic water bottles and bags, they may be used
numerous times in many different ways to limit the usage of petrol-based products. In general,
there a wide range of alternatives to scarce resources that are optimal in the face of lesser
abundance. In addition, recycling goods when possible is a good method of preservation in terms
of glass, metal, etc. But the most that can be done is spreading the word and informing others of
resource-based issues. Being involved in community action can be taken to attempt to limit
consumption on a larger scale.
 Due to the numerous ways individuals may contribute to solving the problem of
conservation, the issues of human population growth and natural resources are not impossible to
correct. Billions of more people may be added to the Earth, using more and more resources, but
they have a chance to live in an environment of more stable scarcity. As a result, it is necessary
to carry out proper measures to ensure that the Earth is livable for our posterity.