Landmark #1: Population
On the previous page I talked about topsoil and the trends that have reduced the amount of topsoil per capita to less than a quarter of what it was when my grandmother was born. Part of the topsoil problem is that in the past century we've lost perhaps 25% of the world's cropland topsoil. But population is by far the larger part of the problem. World population is now more than 350% of what it was in 1900.
Topsoil is just one natural resource strained by our enormous population growth. As I mentioned in the previous section, almost all ecological problems are partially population problems. Together, the 6 billion of us are bringing about enormous changes in the world -- the growing deserts, receding rain forests, eroding soils, vanishing species, and continuing shortages of food, water, and energy. With planning and forethought, we could stabilize world population at 8 billion by the year 2050. Or, without planning and forethought, we could allow population to reach 14 billion. These alternative population scenarios imply vastly different prospects for the people of the earth. For example, in terms of per capita greenhouse gas emissions 35 years from now, a smaller population growing toward 8 billion would yield about 25% less total emissions than a larger population growing toward 14 billion. This would have as much impact on carbon dioxide emissions as eliminating deforestation entirely.
People in both industrial countries and developing countries need to take responsibility for lessening population pressures. The populations of industrialized countries are responsible for the largest proportion of resources consumed and waste produced. The people of these nations are overwhelmingly responsible for acid rain and damage to the ozone layer, and for about two-thirds of global warming. In developing countries the combination of poverty and population growth is resulting in wide-spread deforestation and land degradation. Reckless population growth is a problem that requires the attention of people in both industrial countries and developing countries.
The Bottom Line
Overpopulation is one of the world's most serious problems and is
one of the roots of a great deal of human suffering. We need to
begin to seriously address this problem. Soon.
