Overpopulation and Environmental Sustainability: Balancing Resources for Future Generations - Free Essay

Introduction

As the human population grows, the demand for resources increases, and hence the extraction of such resources gives the capability of the current technology leader to an increased environmental disruption (Keller, 2007). The world's population doubled within one century, from 1830 to 1930. Moreover, by 1970, the population had almost doubled again, and currently, it stands at approximately 7 billion people. The rate of increase in population is referred to as the population bomb. Moreover, the population growth rate is exponential, meaning that the rate is not constant. Most of the things that the human population needs are based on geology. It influences economic growth, foreign relations, society, politics as well as daily lives. Therefore this comprises everything from the food, the clothes, our daily peaceful life as well as when the people participate in the war. Many issues that occur or are aggravated by an overpopulation-ever growing problem on the planet are based on the scarcity of resources (Keller, 2007). The earth has limited resources to sustain the ever-growing population and a restricted space to contain the people. Therefore, the carrying capacity of the land, regarding the increasing population is not equivalent to the population as well as the resources required.

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The standards of living are deteriorating on a daily basis as more people are born, and hence the population is increasing. Unemployment is on the rise, given that the resources offered by the earth are not enough for the ever-growing population (Keller, 2007). Therefore, in the future, the people will overcome the carrying capacity of the earth, and hence the resources will be scarcer than in the present time (Keller, 2007). The more the resources are limited, the more the people will suffer, leading to economic deprivation as well as the deaths of the people who have low status in the community. Currently, the world's population is estimated to be 6.5 billion individuals.

Moreover, the number increases at a rate of about 1.3 percent per year (Hannigan, 2014). The incremental rate is high regarding the number of people that already exist. Nonetheless, this rate is expected to double the populace in approximately 55 years. Although the increase may be very slow to start, it will be very speedy later regarding the (J-shaped growth curve). The doubling period of the population, which is the time takes to double a population's or anything's size, is estimated by dividing 70 by the percentage growth rate and is referred to as the percentage growth rate or the rule of 70. Therefore, 1.3 percent annually will give a doubling rate of almost 55 years. For example, a doubling rate of two percent will be for about 35 years. Still, a growth rate of 1%, the estimated United States of America growth rate, means that the country will double after seventy years. Moreover, the population growth rates are not evenly distributed worldwide since some countries have higher growth rates than others (Keller, 2007).

Sustainability

It is defined as the development that makes sure that future generations will be capable of accessing the resources that the earth provides (Keller, 2007). Throughout history, man has been utilizing the resources provided by the planet, such as minerals, food, forests, oil, and groundwater, without being concerned about their limits (Keller, 2007). Therefore, shortages of certain resources are inevitable. Thence the human population must learn about the means to sustain the environment and the resources it offers so that people continue reaping the benefits provided (Keller, 2007). The earth can be said to be in an environmental crisis that arises from various human processes. Such processes include waste production, soil erosion, and pollution resulting from deforestation, mining resources including petroleum, metals, and coal, and the development of surface water and groundwater resources that lead to the loss or damage of the surrounding (Keller, 2007).

Large-scale recycling of the used resources is needed to meet the future resource demand by the human population. Many resources or materials utilized by the human population can be recycled. However, there is a challenge regarding recycling and some environmental harm, such as increased pollution (Keller, 2007). Human activities such as mining, agriculture, and urbanization are responsible for moving more soil and rock on a yearly basis than any other process on earth (Keller, 2007). Therefore, people should always work together to ensure that the available limited space is well utilized to bring forth the maximum benefits to society. Individuals are required to reduce pollution from the burning of non-renewable resources as well as other fossil fuels (Keller, 2007). Therefore, in third-world countries where pollution is most experienced, people ought to come up with alternative sources of energy, including geothermal, solar, wind, nuclear as well as geothermal.

Earth as a System

A system is a part of the universe that people choose to study. For instance, systems include an ocean basin, a planet, a mountain, a plateau, a river, a volcano, and many others. All systems are made of several parts that work together to complement each other for the system to work as a whole. Therefore, an interruption to one of the parts adjusts how the whole system works (Keller, 2007). Various processes occur on the earth's surface; some are good while others result in a dangerous situation. There, the geological processes cannot be termed as either bad or good. There is nothing like the anger or fury of the earth. It depends on the interactions the humans have with the land and its activities.

Therefore, human activities should be in such a way they bring balance to the earth's system. People should be capable of applying the input-output analysis in evaluating changes in open systems. Moreover, the human being, through the evaluation of change, via the input and output of a system, can be able to determine the average residence period for resources (Keller, 2007). Various environmental issues that occur are dangerous and are caused by the human population, either through what the people do or because of human contact with natural earth processes (Keller, 2007). Individuals can control the character of the association between them and the environment. Geology's relationship with people is a two-way street and, therefore, people can impact the earth, or the earth can affect the people. For example, what is going on today in the land is the key to the future, an idea that is known as uniformitarianism (Keller, 2007). Therefore, utilizing and sustaining what the earth offers today is the key to a better future.

Hazardous Earth Processes

Several earth processes are hazardous to human life, and this includes processes such as volcanic activities and faulting that are natural and are difficult for people to control. The processes should be recognized and evaded as much as possible, and their dangers to people's lives must be minimized. Such processes occur abruptly without any warning signs and hence end up messing with the people situated near the region of occurrence.

Such circumstances end up killing people and their animals as well as destroying property worth millions of dollars. Moreover, they change the nature of the environment in which the people used to know or reside. Therefore, such processes alter the lives of the citizens nearby forever. The increase in natural hazards has been escalated by human activities such as land-use transformation such as deforestation and urbanization, and the human population occupying disastrous areas such as steep slopes and near volcanoes. Moreover, the increased release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to global warming, which feeds more energy to dangerous hurricanes (Keller, 2007).

Scientific Knowledge and Values

The scientific knowledge regarding environmental geology is significant; however, it requires materials and effort from the people to sustain life. The decisions regarding the process require being evaluated thoroughly through scientific methods and available information (Keller, 2007).

Moreover, the perceived or real advantages, risks, and forecasts for future behavior should be analyzed. Having scientific knowledge is essential in solving problems related to the earth and its inhabitants, for instance, researchers use scientific methods to determine the cause of a problem as well as the solution. It includes developing a question, developing a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis through actual research or experiment, analyzing, and summarizing the findings (Keller, 2007).

The requirement to analyze processes utilizing scientific methods will ensure that the observation process, as well as the hypothesis, is fully explained (Keller, 2007). The data acquired will be able to support the consistency of the theory. Therefore, if the hypothesis is reliable by several tests, it will become a theory, and if the theory is universally accepted, it will become law.

Reference

Keller, E. (2007). Philosophy and Fundamental Concepts. In E. Keller, Introduction to Environmental Geology (4th ed., pp. 12-27). NJ, USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc.