English 102
Prof. Sonia Apgar Begert
Literature
Review
The
topic that I am researching is “Global Human Overpopulation”. The basic purpose
of this research project is to determine our current status, analyze
contributing factors, solutions, and looking forward into the future. We will
explore data, reasoning, ethics, and much more to find out why we are asking
this question. Also, I shall be finding conclusive definitions for the terms
that we commonly use(such as the real meaning of “Overpopulation”). It should
be mentioned that this basic outline within this intro does not encompass all
of my research and findings. I shall explore my topic in five sections, in
which I will summarize my research as it stands now. These five sections form
what I would call a rough design for how I will do my final document. Not to
mention sources that I
may drop in lieu of something stronger.
I would first like to make a point
about the main issue being discussed. The effects of “Overpopulation”, as
quoted from the Institute for Population
Studies, are “…shortages of all our resources, war and social conflict,
limits on personal freedom, overcrowding and the health and survival of other
species”. This immediately catches my attention, especially since this isn’t
only an issue in a 3rd world country, but something happening in our
own nation today. I’ll specific examples, and cite statistics about the USA,
and I’ll even talk about our own community(Seattle area). I will be providing
data for reference from the US Census
and compare those numbers with the historical data from Index Mundi to show the growth from significant points in American
history. Also, I’ll use the document from the United Nations titled World Population to 2300, of which predicts
future population trends. I’ll use the data from that to create a timeline that
will show the reader that this issue is close to home. The journal that Jie Zong, and Jeanne Batalova wrote
titled Frequently Requested Statistics on immigrants and immigration in the
United States will provide me with additional information about population
growth that isn’t from birth. They say that our current largest growth is from immigration.
One question that will be binding all of these topics together will be a simple
question: Can the earth continue to sustain us as we grow?
Since
we just covered the basis of what overpopulation is, we need to now look at how
we stand currently. It will be here that I reference the World Factbook
from the CIA, and talk about the
current countries that are the highest in growth, population count, poverty,
economy and so on. I will look at the current condition of said countries and
present findings that I find peculiar and enlightening. I will also reference
each country’s history with facts that flesh out the backstory of how matters
came to be. The source I’ll be using for the historical backgrounds is the web
resource from the Annenberg Learner
Foundation called World Population growth through history. Another
good complimentary source would be from Our World in Data, a web
publication authored by Max Roser. The first source I listed will give me
information about population solely, while the later source will allow me to
look at religion, politics, war, and etc. Much of this information will also be
supported by charts and graphs that are featured from Our World in Data.
In
the previous section I would have made several points about issues plaguing not
only these high density nations, but also every other country as well. In this
section I would focus on these issues themselves, and how they came to be. I
will be referencing the World Health
Organization, United Nations, and The
Hunger Project. Such subjects would include hunger, where food is grown,
what is hindering agriculture. How accessible is water, how clean it is, what
are the leading causes of shortages. Poverty, what is the definition of true
poverty, distribution of wealth, average living conditions. Areas of conflict,
places previously ravaged by war, future conflict zones. Disease, what is
curable and not curable, why certain diseases spread. I will also be talking
about the plethora of aid services that are combatting these ailment. I would
like to capitalize on recent events to write about the influx of immigrants
from Syria. I think this is a fantastic example of what happens when a large
group suddenly merges with another nation’s population.
Regardless
of how much people are on this planet, it would be a pointless argument if this
planet were to become uninhabitable. I’m referring to climate change, and the
overall outlook of the future. I will cover pollution, emissions, and Nasa
has many visuals regarding the changing climate, like shrinking ice caps,
expansion of deserts, water rising and water vanishing, and that’s only naming
a few. A journal that I will be referring to quite a bit will be the one
written by Charles J. Vörösmarty, and other respective authors, which is about
global water resources. It is a well known fact that our supply of fresh water
is constantly under threat, with many different factors to blame. The recent
water shortage in California will be my “close to home” example of the dangers
of a water shortage. Another interesting topic I will be talking about will be
the Antarctic ice sheet. In previous years we have heard the doom and gloom
about it shrinking. However, Nasa
reported on the 6th of Nov. that the ice sheet is gaining much more than it is losing. It is
changes like this that I hope to shed light on, so that my reader may be
educated on new findings and not be misled by old statements.
In my
last section I will focus on the consumer. Between the Washington State University, and World Energy Council, I have data that shows how the world uses its
resources, who is consuming the most, and what is being used most. I will make comparisons
of how the average American consumes goods, comparing that to what would be a
sustainable lifestyle, but also with those who are impoverished. The data from
the World Energy Council shows how
much each country currently uses, and it is that data that I will use to do
these comparisons. While change needs to start with the individual, I will also
bring up the matter of how corporations and manufacturers are burning through
oil and other resources.
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