Overpopulation's Effect on Environment

Tariku Muleta
Jennifer McGuire
English 1A
16 March, 2013
Overpopulation`s Effect on Environment
In today`s society there are many economic problems, such as pollution, global warming, and overpopulation. These problems have taken a toll on the environment, and its resources. Although all of these issues have an impact on our society, overpopulation stands to have the greatest impact on our environment, due to the large masses of people and the limited resources. There are many solutions to this problem but the common factor is the human race. The human race has to put controls in place and take care of the environment, so the required resources do not become extinct.
Overpopulation is excessive human population in an area to the point of overcrowding, depletion of natural resources and environmental deterioration. According to Taylor, right now there is estimated to be 7 billion people in the world (Taylor U.N). Based on several causes of overpopulation this number is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050. The major causes are the decline in death, the rise in birth rate, migration and lack of education. The death rate is low because science has created ways to prolong life for people so they live past eighty-five. With the new discoveries in nutritional science there is a huge rise in the birth rate. With the increased births people migrate to places with enough resources to provide for their families. One of the other
causes of overpopulation is illiteracy. Many lacking education do not understand the harmful effects of overpopulation and thus do not take family planning measures. This increase will be seen mostly in undeveloped countries like Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda, because these countries have the highest birth rate in the world. A decrease of births will be seen mostly in Japan, Germany, and Italy, but the U.S. and China will maintain a stable amount of people during this time. 
The problem of overpopulation consists of many different issues such as the number of occupants, average amount of resources, and the amount of pollution produced. One key factor to overpopulation is to understand that the planet is not going to expand and grow new land that will create space to produce resources for more individuals. The birth rate continues to be one of the biggest factors, with about 54 million births per year. The more people there are, the more resources consumed and the more waste that is created. A child born today in the United States for instance will produce fifty-two tons of garbage and consume 11 million gallons of water by the age of seventy-five. This factor alone leaves us with fewer resources, unless we recycle or store waste that we produce.
Several environmental issues are impacting our resources. According to Shiles, forests are "disappearing", and the global unpolluted fresh water supply is in danger while the air in most big cities is becoming increa...