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Page added on June 16, 2014
A billion planets, One Earth…
How will our continuously growing population affect our way of life, our planet, our environment? No matter how you look at it, we have a big problem
At the rate we’re going, we are already using up the available resources of 1 ½ Earths, even though this planet is all we have at the moment. Unless we can find another Earth where we can move half of our 7 billion population, it’s very obvious that we are using up our finite supply of resources. The effect of growing population will be an increased demand for resources and space. Both of which we are running out of. The Earth just can’t keep up with us and our habit of wastage is not helping.
More: Environmental Degradation Facts
Is the concern real?
Some scientists believe that our advances in Science will help augment the demands of a growing population. They don’t believe that further population growth should be a cause of concern.
By year 2025, we should be reaching a population between 8 to 10 billion. By year 2100, we will need 3 Earths to continue living the way we do. Where do we find the other 2 Earths?
Is the concern real? That’s up to you to decide. The evidence is everywhere.
When there are too many of us, what can happen?
It’s worthy to note that most of the projection for population growth in this century will happen in developing nations – nations that are having difficulties coping with their current population and struggling with their economies. They have poor sanitation, illiteracy, wars, poverty, dwindling natural resources, poor waste management and so on.
These countries have more pressing problems and they devote less time, budget and energy to addressing environmental issues – unlike the more developed countries. How will they cope if their population doubles? If you do the math, there will be a very big deficit.
More: Earth Population Counter
One good model of over population is India. How has their growing population affected the country?
- There was a decrease in per capita food availability despite an increase in production.
- Poor distribution of food resulting to hunger and deaths.
- Shortage in medical facilities and services.
- Problems with power shortage and distribution.
- Lack of educational facilities and services.
- Increased government debts.
- Rising inflation.
- Less employment opportunities.
- More number of illiterates.
- Difficulties in the implementation of state development programs.
- Increased instances of crime.
- Water shortage.
- Increase in industrial and community waste.
- Air, water and land pollution.
- Increased density of population.
Now multiply this problem a dozen fold and we can see how it’s going to have a global effect. It will put pressure on economies and even halt whatever progress the country has managed to achieve.
More: Consequences of Depletion of Natural Resources
However, rate of growth should not be the only measurement of overpopulation. Density of population should also be considered. As an example, there are many countries in Africa whose growth rate is higher than India. However, they are not considered overpopulated since their density is less than 100 per square kilometer as compared to India’s 324.
Future population growth can only result to further degradation of our environment. It’s going to take some time before our efforts to correct our mistakes will have an effect. Not mentioned here are the effects of global warming, which will surely worsen due to the increased carbon footprint.
More: Global Climate Change Facts
Visit The World Counts: Stories and learn more about interesting issues about our environment. It concerns you too and we’d like to share it with you.
11 Comments on "A billion planets, One Earth…"
meld on Mon, 16th Jun 2014 3:29 pm
I can sense the change in people. Far more aggression on the roads and streets. People stressed to hell and doing anything to keep their shitty little job, to hell with their health. If this trend continues I wont feel safe going out on the street within 10 years. And I live in a 3000 population village in the back end of nowhere. I can’t imagine how fucking crazy it is in the cities right now.
synapsid on Mon, 16th Jun 2014 4:27 pm
“more number of illiterates”
Oh my.
Makati1 on Mon, 16th Jun 2014 8:35 pm
We Westerners have grown up with greed advertising everywhere, especially the TV. Such conditioning takes as much will-power as kicking any drug addiction. Maybe more, as we are surrounded by the same consumer mindset almost everywhere we turn.
I had to leave the US to get away from it and ‘cure’ my greed need. It was not easy and has taken about six years so far, but I am getting there. Here, there are greedy people, mostly the top 1%, but most Filipinos are just happy with necessities and an occasional treat. Of course, the Western greed need is contagious and is spreading here too.
There is no hope as long as there are consumers being constantly urged to consume, even if it means borrowing to do so. In fact, most consumption, beyond necessities, has been funded by debt for the last 30-40 years, not growth.
Yes, the end is near. Next year? Two years? Five? Ten? Who knows how long they will be able to ‘kick the can’, but it is getting dented and fragile and I assume that the last kick is in the near future. Are you prepared?
Makati1 on Mon, 16th Jun 2014 8:45 pm
BTW: ~$150,000,000,000.00 was spent on advertising (pushing consumption) in the US last year. That’s ~$500 for every man, woman and child in the US.
The world total was ~$500,000,000,000.00.
Now you can see why Americans will never kick the habit until they are forced to. They are constantly being bombarded with advertising to consume.
Subtract out the US amount and it equals ~$50 per person for the rest of the world. And that average is higher in Western countries and lower in non-western ones.
Davey on Mon, 16th Jun 2014 8:49 pm
Man, you made me tear up Mak, now I realize you left the US because you are an obsessive consumer. The P’s are a Good place to go to cure that habit. Sounds like you are living in a slum by the way you are talking. Sorry about that too. Your time frame definitely reflects the collapse timeline for the P’s when food runs out.
Makati1 on Mon, 16th Jun 2014 10:37 pm
Another view of earth:
“…In the early 1970′s, several memos circulated within the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) expressing concern over design flaws of the Mark I nuclear reactors made by General Electric, the same type installed at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. Recommendations were made to stop licensing reactors with these faulty designs and the top safety official at the AEC, Jospeh Hendrie, agreed with them but rejected their implementation on the grounds that it could do irreparable damage to the nuclear industry:…”
http://collapseofindustrialcivilization.com/
And how many of these GE wonders are in the US? Answer: Too Many!
Money/greed rules…
Makati1 on Mon, 16th Jun 2014 10:40 pm
And: “… Some 39 months after the multiple explosions at Fukushima, thyroid cancer rates among nearby children have skyrocketed to more than forty times (40x) normal.
More than 48 percent of some 375,000 young people—nearly 200,000 kids—tested by the Fukushima Medical University near the smoldering reactors nowsuffer from pre-cancerous thyroid abnormalities, primarily nodules and cysts. The rate is accelerating.
More than 120 childhood cancers have been indicated where just three would be expected, says Joseph Mangano, executive director of the Radiation and Public Health Project.
The nuclear industry and its apologists continue to deny this public health tragedy. Some have actually asserted that “not one person” has been affected by Fukushima’s massive radiation releases, which for some isotopes exceed Hiroshima by a factor of nearly 30. …”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/fukushimas-children-are-dying/5387242
Coming to a neighborhood near you.
Makati1 on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 3:21 am
Davy, I live in a 5 year old condo tower on the edge of the business district. It has a well maintained pool, kiddie pool, gym, and playground for the kids, all on the 8th floor commons. It has a desk in the lobby manned 24/7 and security guards at the only entrances.
I have world class malls, hospitals and all the other modern conveniences that you find in any big city in the world, within walking distance. My living expenses are half what they were in the States and I have not down graded them in any way. My ‘neighbors’ come from all over the world and most are professionals, here on business or vacation. The Philippine Stock Exchange is four blocks away, not that I play in that casino, but they would hardly be in the ‘slums’.
That you assume I live in a ‘slum’ is just your idea, not reality. That I ignore you most of the time is also reality. I suggest you do the same and ignore my comments if they bother you. It’s easier on your blood pressure.
Davy, Hermann, MO on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 6:31 am
Wow, Mak, you act like a slum lover wanna be. You constantly criticize and bash the life you say you are living. There is a word for this Mak, it is called hypocrisy. IMA, you live in the very heart of a mad max collapse scenario when SHTF and food shortages develop. Very soon when the food/energy shortage hits and the P’s have no position in the global waiting line for food/energy. Your idyllic life will be hell. The P’s are going to suffer food/energy shortages quickly when they develop globally because the P’s have nothing to offer the world but surplus people. If I am on your ass Mak it is because if you read this board it is not a bash America site. There is nothing wrong with criticism here of America and others but it is not a site per its description for the likes of your type. Your type is a propagandist ideologue with a personal message. Your message is not for our readers here it is your message and a way of justifying your personal actions and supporting your life view. A life view and a relocation decision you obviously have cognitive dissonance about. I am not going to sit by while you bash my way of life, my people, and by extension me. IMA, your bashing is incessant and considerable in relation to others. You make multiple and regular comments. Many if not most are unsupported and obviously subjective. And I too am guilty of this and for the most part because I feel compelled to fight the unfair attacks on my country and myself.
Makati1 on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 7:10 am
Davy, I doubt you will read this, but … The US is not worth defending. It is a monster roaming the earth pillaging and destroying everything that gets in it’s way. You put down the Ps because they just might be better than the US and just might have a future better than you do. Well, they will have to bend to China’s will, but that may save them from being in the middle of a proxy war started by the US who cannot win a war if the country depended on it. America is not what it was and is living on past glories. It is a dead man walking. The rest of the world knows it and when it falls, the cheer will be heard round the world.
So, I will continue to ignore your flag waving rants about the US vs the bad East and I suggest you ignore my comments also.
Davy, Hermann, MO on Tue, 17th Jun 2014 7:39 am
Mak, you live in a fantasy world of the last great battle. You ignore the fact that Asia is at the limits of growth with a populations so far in disequilibrium that it can never hold once BAU contracts and food and energy shortages start. The US will quickly loose it complexity and energy intensity but the key variable of relatively low population density (compared to Asia), food production potential, and varied energy supplies will see it through some kind of transition. Your unfortunate P land is poised to be overlooked by the world with no chance of resupply. Your environment there is in collapse, population in overshoot, and no items to trade with the world for its dependency for food and energy. The P’s is in the cross hairs of climate change with typhoons and less destructive storms. China is the leading example of limits of growth, overshoot, and disequilibrium. They have the worst pollution in the world considering the huge geographic area polluted. China has the worst water and desertification issues considering the geographic area involved. The huge population with increasing wealth is destroying the best farmland in the name of growth. China is in a death rattle and soon will collapse to a level like Mao’s cultural revolution of a forced push back to the land. The huge mega cities will be unsupportable and have to be vacated leaving a wasteland of the new ghost cities. China cancerous growth has brought the global system to its knees and will end BAU. This paradoxically may be a good thing because the sooner BAU goes into crisis the sooner some sustainability may be achieved through forced lifestyle changes and forced attitude changes. There is no way to avoid the ugly, the painful, and the death. The P’s is one of the worst positioned of any country. Good luck Mak, poor guy.