Do we have a population problem?
One of the prevailing theories about how climate change has gotten as bad as it is, is because of overpopulation. It is true that this is the highest population that the earth has ever seen and that the population is growing at a faster rate than ever. However, the problem is more about distribution than overpopulation.
Our planet has the resources to support our current population, and then some. The problem is that some of the methods to get these resources are very harmful to the environment. For example, our “farming” methods deplete the earth of nutrients and cause chemicals to leach into the earth and atmosphere. What if instead of chemically synthesized nitrogen-based fertilizer, we used compost from foods that were already being produced? This would eliminate a lot of food waste and the runoff that comes off of commercial farms.
Most Americans live at a higher convenience level than a lot of other people in the world. When we want something, we have the ability to get it instantly. Whether it's a drive-thru or mobile food ordering or delivery, you don’t have to wait long to get what you want. It is great that we have the freedom to get things quickly, but it comes at a high cost. American society has become so dependent on cars that it is hard to live anywhere without one.
What if instead of Americans having the ability to do basically whatever they want, these abilities and resources were shared among the globe to give people everywhere what they need? America is one of the leading producers of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, and it has been since the industrial revolution. It is our turn to give other countries and cultures the chance to develop society the way we did. The entire world would benefit from a collective understanding and knowledge of how to develop sustainably.
From 1750 to modern times, the US has been producing way more than its fair share of pollutants. If we lowered ours, it would make the world a lot safer. Americans think that we have a population problem because if everyone lived like us, it would not be sustainable. If we lowered our emissions to the point that other countries are at, the world would not be in as much jeopardy as it is now. We have the capabilities and technologies to create a livable world, we just have to make it a priority for the people that are in charge.
I can definitely agree with how dependent the United States and many other countries have become on cars, and most certainly our dependence on fossil fuels. Climate scientists have warned the world for decades yet little steps have really been made to conserve our environment. The United States had even temporarily left the Paris Accord a few years ago, but thankfully the country rejoined the treaty. What you mentioned about sustainability in terms of composting food waste and lowering emissions is actually a fantastic idea. Denmark is actually doing these things including solar power and organic food, leading it to become rated as the cleanest and most sustainable country in the world by many platforms back in 2020. All steps toward sustainability and a cleaner environment will definitely help in the long term!
ReplyDeleteNaomi,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your discussion about overpopulation, as it is something that is really just thrown out there as an excuse by a lot of people. I had never heard any discussion of actually being able to support the current entire population, I had only ever heard claims that there were too many people. As for the discussion about farms, I personally have some experience. My family has managed avocado orchards in Ventura county for a very long time, so I have personally seen some of the techniques that are used. But what it can come down to for the reason is that these methods end up being cheaper than the cleaner alternatives. Its not necessarily fair to push that on the farmers.
I think this is a very critical and important topic for the longevity of the earths resources and how we can as individuals reduce our carbon footprint. It is no surprise that big farming industries and agricultural plants use tons and tons of chemicals that are leaching into the earth and atmosphere. It is much harder to rally for these industries to change their methods so what I think would be beneficial would be individual reduction of each persons carbon footprint. Meaning selecting fish from sustainable fishing methods, limit consumption of beef, consuming local and seasonal products, bring your own bags to grocery stores and more. I think that an individual effort when done collectively and consistently can have a very big impact globally. Great discussion thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNaomi,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a topic that is important to discuss and cannot be ignored. It is easy to live our lives and think about the present moment. The truth is the planet is dying, and it cannot be ignored. The United States being a leader of carbon dioxide pollutants needs to change. It is nice to see renewable energy efforts such as solar panels, windmills, and the change from gasoline powered vehicles to electric vehicles. Going green can be pricy and we have much work to do. But with awareness and an effort to be productive, the planet can be saved for generations to come.
Hi Naomi,
ReplyDeleteOnce again you have brought a terrible but equally important topic to light. The biggest thing I took from your blog is where you said "when we want something, we have the ability to get it instantly." I don't think that most people even realize how incredibly lucky we are to have this lifestyle. In some countries, people have to travel by foot for hours just to get enough water for the day. We let the tap run like we own the water supply. As Americans, we are very all about ourselves and think we are the best because of the contributions we've made globally. But how good can we really be if we are the number one contributors to such a problem like CO2 emission? We really need to take a step back and re-examine what's important to us in the long run, before it's too late.
Hello Naomi,
ReplyDeletethroughout the semester I really enjoyed reading your blog posts because they were very informative. I learned a lot about pollution and sustainability through your blog. I was also able to implement some of the ideas you gave into my life and I was able to make small changes to help the environment. Before reading your post, I thought that overpopulation did play a big role in climate change. I agree that the United States should drastically lower its pollution. Sadly I don't think that big corporations will make this easy. I really enjoyed reading your posts! Have a great rest of the semester.
Hi Naomi,
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog because everything that you write about is completely accurate and actually really useful. I agree that our population is getting out of control. We have too many people in comparison to our means. We need to find ways to be sustainable because if we continue in the direction that we are headed, we won’t survive. We are constantly killing and polluting our planet. If we plan on living here especially with all the people that we have we need to find ways that will cause us to be resourceful. Thank you for your ideas!