Overpopulation was and still is a rapid growing problem around the world. According to dictionary.com’s science definition, overpopulation is “the population of an environment by a particular species [for my purposes, I will talk only about humans and not include animals] in excess of the environment's carrying capacity. The effects of overpopulation can include the depletion of resources, environmental deterioration, and the prevalence of famine and disease.” Working with this definition, the problem with resources will be my main focus throughout this semester.
I believe that people have heard of overpopulation in general conversations around the water cooler at work or on the street but that they don’t know all of the consequences. I hence forth want to attempt to aid people who are debating what they can do to help by presenting the information I collect throughout this semester in a nonbiased, accessible way in which all members of my audience can understand. Also, I want to inspire change in others who haven’t given the consequences of overpopulation any serious thought.
The rapid decline of resources is growing at an alarming rate and if actions aren’t taken to help reduce the use of these resources, many will not be sustained in the future. I am fully aware that this is not an individual problem. Countries of the world must come together collectively to make local and worldly impacts.
According to Wikipedia.com, “overpopulation does not depend only on the size or density of the population, but on the ratio of population to available sustainable resources. It also depends on the way resources are used and distributed throughout the population.” Because overpopulation can occur in any part of the world, everyone needs to know about the consequences so that the people of the future can continue to have a sustainable life.
Resources to consider when talking about overpopulation include clean air, clean water, abundance of food, shelter, warmth as well as other resources needed to sustain life. Other resources to consider include medical care, education, proper sewage treatment and waste disposal. However, for my purposes, I will talk more in detail about the first set of resources.
