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OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

Overpopulation: An Environmental Crisis

Joyice L. Harris
California State University Dominguez Hills

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

World overpopulation has become one of the most prominent environmental health
concerns in the 21st century. People have migrated, expanded, and industrialized to such an
extent that the population is becoming so enormous that Earth is beginning to exhaust its
resources that. Today there are more than 7.2 billion living human beings occupying every each
of the Earth and it is continuing to grow at an alarming rate. Overpopulation is simply defined as,
exceeding certain threshold limits of population density when environmental resources fail to
meet the requirements of individual organisms regarding shelter, nutrition and so forth. It gives
rise to high rates of mortality and morbidity (Environmental Statistics 2011). According to the
United States Census Bureau, The world population is projected to growto 9 billion by 2044,
an increase of 50 percent that is expected to require 45 years (U.S. Census Bureau 2013).
Humans and the environment have not experienced the extreme harmful effects of
overpopulation until the 19th century and beyond because the mortality rate has historically
superseded the birth rates of people due to certain common infectious diseases such as the cold,
measles and flu and lack of clean drinking water, food, medicine and other resources. In essence,
the birth and death rates were historically balanced which maintained the growth of the
population. The Industrial Revolution, however, attributed to many of the inventions of medical
and technological advances that helped reverse some of those factors that were causing the
mortality rate to decrease and extend the lifespan of humans. Now that the world is densely
populated, it appears that the Earths ecosystem, the conditions of certain areas in society and the
health conditions of people are suffering greatly as a result of the exponential population rate.
The depletion of resources and the ability to sustain ones health and well-being is a major
concern for people inhibiting this overly-populated Earth and it is essentially a major threat to
the environment. Therefore, stabilization of the increasing world population must be enforced by

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

individuals in order to achieve zero population growth and sustain and preserve the environment
as well as its resources in an effort to effectively improve the health conditions in which humans
live in.
Historically, many populations have grown at a significantly slow pace even though the rates
of births were steadily increasing over time. People were suffering from certain infectious
disease as well as extremely high rates of child mortality. The population continued to grow very
slowly yet remain stabled long before the introduction of technological advances came out which
extended the life and health of humans and the environment (Moffet 1994). The population prior
to the Industrial Revolution, which was an era in history that primarily focused on utilizing
machinery as well as factories to alter the standard of living, remained under one billion for it
had, grew about 57 percent to 700 million within the mid 1700s(United Nations Population
Division). Many people were dying in extremely large numbers as a result of the plague
(infectious diseases) and it, reduced population by a third between 1348 to 1350 ( Horrox 94).
When European explorers landed in different countries and encounter many of the Natives that
were living there, they brought a significant amount of diseases over to the Native people who
were not fully immune to them and they were exposed to very infectious diseases such as ,
measles , smallpox, and influenza,(Goodling) In the 1800s, however, the world population had
finally reached a staggering 5,308,483 people living on Earth. In addition the second billion
was achieved in only 130 years (1930), the third billion in less than 30 years (1959), the fourth
billion in 15 years (1974), and the fifth billion in only 13 years (1987)(United States Census
Bureau). This is a strong indication that people were living longer due to sufficient agriculture
produced from the Industrial Revolution and the mortality was steadily decreasing. The human
population growth rate reached a towering peak between the years of 1965-1970 at

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

approximately 2.1% annually according to the World Population Prospects (WPP 2010).
However, in countries such as Africa and India, the human population has caused major concern
over time because of the reduction of land, access to water and resources have become extremely
scarce. Consequently, the rate of humans living in the United States is expected to be surpassed
by those countries dramatically, are projected to increase from 5.9 billion in 2013 to 8.2 billion
in 2050.whereas the population in America is expected to increase by almost one billion
people within the next twelve years, reaching 8.1 billion in 2025 and 9.6 billion in 2050 (United
Nations Report).
The causes of overpopulation stem from directly from the increase of birth rates and a decline
of death rates of people from around the world. People were experiencing longevity due to the
new medical technology such as vaccines and antibiotics that helped cure many of the diseases
that were afflicting them and increase safer fertility. Many people were experiencing an increase
life-expectancy which was very uncommon because they were not fortunate enough to have the
availability of resources that kept them living longer. According to the National Institute on
Aging, the average life expectancy for men was, 46.3 and 48.3 for women in the 1900s and
most babies born in 1900 did not live past age 50, life expectancy at birth now exceeds 83 years
in Japanthe current leaderand is at least 81 years in several other countries(NIH 2011).
However, the overpopulation of humans causes extreme environmental concerns for nearly every
part of the world. Current human activity is beginning to destroy the Earths natural ecosystem
due to the, mismanagement of natural resources, improper disposal of waste which kills of
aquatic plants and animals in lakes and oceans, deforestation, oil spills which also channels
through the Earths large water sources( Fallaria p.101). The Earth can only provide so much
resources for the ever increasing thick population and there has been more evidence of

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

environmental damage progressing since the population boom in the late 1900s. For example,
overpopulation produces a lot of pollution and, 80% of the garbage that is collected is not
disposed properly and it is dumped in areas that are opened where animals live in and now much
of the garbage are being distributed in suburban areas which used to be cleaner( Fallaria 2004).
In addition, much of the garbage that is thrown away due to the overpopulation pollutes the air
tremendously because the waste is burned into the air. There are many poisonous substances that
are released into the air and the, waste that rots methane gas and other harmful substances that
can affect nostrils, throat, lungs and eyes (Fallaria 2004). This proves that overpopulation
contributes to harmful chemicals being released in the environment because the large amount of
people that do not properly disposed their waste. Also, the number of vehicles and industries are
starting to affect the air quality due to the emissions from the cars into the environment and it is
estimated to grow even worse. This is especially dangerous for people who are already suffering
from respiratory diseases such as asthma because, exposure to increased pollution heightens
sensitivity to allergens, impairs lungs, triggers asthma attacks, sends people to the hospital, and
even results in death. In 2010, the American Lung Association estimated that about 23 million
Americans suffered from asthma (National Resources Defense Council).
The supply of water is also affected by the increase of population because people are
occupying more space than it is available. Water is an extremely fundamental element that
humans need to survive and it is important that access to clean, sanitized water is probable.
When the water system is contaminated because of human waste, spills, and leaks, it makes it
difficult for humans to sustain their well-being within the environment and it can completely
throw off the balance of the entire ecosystem. There are so many people around the world who
seriously do not have access to clean, clear drinking water. Many countries world-wide do not

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

have the essentials to cater to the needs of its citizens because they are very limited in what they
can provide. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), there are more than, millions
of people who do not have access to improved sources of drinking water, leaving them at risk for
water sanitation and hygiene related diseases1.5 million children die annually from diarrheal
illnesses that are caused by unsafe, poorly sanitized water(CDC 2014). Any body of water is
susceptible to being contaminated such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. Many people in society
often take the resources that are limited completely for granted because there is a belief that it
will always be available. Many places across the globe have a huge concern with providing
enough clean, safe drinking water. This is seen in more rural areas of the world particularly
developing countries because they have the highest poverty rate. Africa for instance does not
have enough resources especially water to sustain the wellbeing of the people. According to the
World Bank, there are, 414 million people who are living in extreme poverty-stricken areas.
Also, every year more than 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water and industrial
waste are discharged into U.S. waters. The EPA warns that sewage levels in our rivers could be
back to 1970s levels by the year 2016 (Negative Population Growth). This showcases that
although society has the advanced technology to help sustain the population, our resources are
being heavily contaminated and people are starting be in a worst conditions than people were
centuries ago. Although certain countries like America have the access to water, food and
medicine despite the rapid population growth, poor countries experience greater hardships
because they do not have enough resources or access to it in order to sustain their well-being.
Overpopulation can also cause people to live in unhealthy conditions. There are many
people living in the world who are residing in crowded, unsafe, and filthy conditions. When
people live in heavily congested areas where there are literally groups of people occupying every

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

space, they are more likely to contract highly contagious diseases. People can become more
susceptible to diseases especially when they are experiencing malnutrition. They can also
experience, as mentioned before, lack of clean fresh water which can prevent people from
properly cleaning their houses and keep up with proper hygiene. Additionally, there has been an
increase in the spread of disease as well as new cases of diseases emerging world-wide because
of overpopulation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Every three seconds a
young child dies - in most cases from an infectious disease. In some countries, one in five
children dies before their fifth birthday. Every day 3,000 people die from malaria - three out of
four of them children. Every year 1.5 million people die from tuberculosis and another eight
million are newly infected"(WHO 2015). The more compact humans are in an environment, the
easier it is for diseases to become wide-spread. Also, 1.5 million people die annually from
contracting tuberculosis and another eight million people become affected (WHO 2014).
In conclusion, overpopulation is a very troubling issue that affects the wellbeing of
humans as well as the environment. It very important that people can become aware of what
overpopulation is and make them understand the serious nature of the situation. The world can
only sustain so many people and it is up to the individual to fix the problem with the increase of
global population. There is a extremely high chance that the population of people will indeed
increase someday, however, there are several solutions that can be implemented in order to
sustain the growing population. People should have the opportunity to have complete and free
access to contraception for both male and females. This will inevitably prevent unwanted
pregnancies and to limit the population growth since it starts with the birth of children.
Individuals should plan to have children instead of having unwanted babies and they should take
a class on family planning so that they can be ready to have children when they are settled. It is

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

a great idea to delay having children but they need complete access to healthcare so that they can
protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies. In addition, children should be educated on how
overpopulation can affect their families as well as future generations. Moreover, people should
consider taking an alternative method of transportation so that the roads will not be as crowded.
There should also be educational as well as job opportunities for women in every single society
and this can be very helpful because they will be encouraged to start family planning later on in
life and to decide to have smaller families. Developing countries such as Africa should be able
to have access to sexual reproductive health care and become educated on family planning. This
will give them the opportunity to raise their child and put all of their energy into helping the
child grow up in an environment where they are not plagued by poverty. Another method to curb
the overpopulation situation is to have government-controlled birth rates through taxing the
number of children that each couple has. This solution will essentially encourage parents to be
careful and plan the amount of children they can have. China, for example, have implemented
this policy that was introduced in the early 1980s and it was responsible for putting, a halt on
the increasing population and global warning( Horner 231). In addition, efforts should be made
towards implementing alternatives for limited resources so that humans will be able to have
access to it. People should stray from using materials and resources that are not reusable because
they are used up so quickly. Lastly, there should be special government incentives as well as
special programs for the aging population so that there will be more benefits to getting older as
opposed to having more children.

OVERPOPULATION: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

Works Cited

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Club, Washington, D.C., July 14, 1997. Washington, D.C.: Negative Population Growth.
Fallaria, R. (2004). Science Spectrum 6 (4th ed., pp. 100-108).
Horner, C. (2008). Red hot lies: How global warming alarmists use threats, fraud, and deception
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Horrox, R. (1994). The Black Death. Manchester: Manchester University Press ;.
Moffett, G. (1994). Critical masses: The global population challenge. New York: Viking.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). Pop Culture: 1800. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). Pop Culture: 1800 Retrieved from
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/fast_facts/1800_fast_facts.html
World urbanization prospects the 2011 revision. (2012). New York: United Nations.