Population Problem Essay, Research Paper
The Population Problem
Two hundred old ages ago, Thomas Malthus, in An Essay on the Principle of
Population, reached the decision that the figure of people in the universe will
addition exponentially, while the ability to feed these people will merely
addition arithmetically ( 21 ) . Current grounds shows that this theory may non
be far from the truth. For illustration, between 1950 and 1984, the entire sum of
grain produced more than doubled, much more than the addition in population in
those 34 old ages.
More late though, these statistics have become reversed.
From 1950 to 1984, the sum of grain increased at 3 per centum yearly. Yet,
from 1984 to 1993, grain production had grown at hardly 1 per centum per twelvemonth, a
lessening in grain production per individual of 12 per centum ( Brown 31 ) . Besides
beef uping to Malthus & # 8217 ; statement is the theory that the universe population will
addition to over 10 billion by 2050, two times what it was in 1990 ( Bongaarts
36 ) . Demographers predict that 2.8 billion people were added to the universe
population between 1950 and 1990, an norm of 70,000 a twelvemonth.
Between 1990
and 2030, it is estimated that another 3.6 billion will be added, an norm of
90,000 a twelvemonth ( Brown 31 ) . Furthermore, in the eighteenth century, the universe population
growing was 0.34 % ; it increased to 0.54 % in the nineteenth century and in the first
half of the twentieth century to 0.84 % ( Weiskel 40 ) . Neo-Malthusians base their
statements on the instructions of Thomas Malthus. Of the Neo-Malthusians, Garrett
Hardin is one of the most outstanding and controversial. Hardin & # 8217 ; s essays discuss
the job of overpopulation and the effects it will hold on the hereafter. In
Lifeboat Ethical motives, he concludes that uninterrupted additions in population will hold
black results. Neo-Malthusian statements come under much examination by those
who believe that the population detonation is merely a myth. Those who hold these
beliefs province that the grounds Neo-Malthusians usage to warrant their positions is
far from conclusive. Critics hold that the Neo-Malthusian call for
autocratic control is much excessively extremist. Therefore, these critics belittle the
theories of Neo-Malthusians on the footing that population is non a job.
However extremist Hardin & # 8217 ; s theories may be, current grounds shows that he may non
be excessively far off the grade. It is barely arguable that the population has
increased in the past few decennaries, for current statistics show that this
really is the instance. Equally telling, is the fact that huge sums of land
are being transformed into more living infinite. More people means more waste,
more pollution, and more development. With this taken into consideration, it
seems that Hardin & # 8217 ; s instructions should no longer fall on deaf ears. When
discoursing the issue of population, it is of import to observe that it is one of
the most controversial issues confronting the universe today. Population growing, like
many other environmental issues, has two sides. One side will claim that the
population detonation is merely a myth, while the other side will reason that the
population detonation is world. Because of this, statistics refering this
capable vary widely. But, in order to carry, it is necessary to take one
side or the other. Therefore, statistics may be questioned as to their cogency,
even though the statistics come from believable beginnings.
Lifeboat Ethical motives
The United States is the most thickly settled state in the universe, behind lone China
and India. Unlike China and India though, the United States is the fastest
turning industrialised state. The United States & # 8217 ; population expands so rapidly
because of the instability between migration and in-migration, and births and
deceases. For illustration, in 1992, 4.1 million babes were born. Weighing this
statistic against the figure of deceases and the figure of people who entered and
left the state, the consequence was that the United States obtained 2.8 million
more people than it had gotten rid of ( Douglis 12 ) . Population additions place
great strain on the American society and more peculiarly it causes enormous
devastation to the natural environment. For illustration, more than half of the
wetlands in the United States are gone, and of all of the original wood screen,
90 per centum has been destroyed. This depletion has caused the close extinction of
over 796 single workss and animate beings. At least portion of the twelvemonth, the air that
over 100 million people breathe is excessively soiled to run into federal criterions. And
eventually, about 15 million people are capable to contaminated H2O supplies
( Douglis 12 ) . It is really likely that entire devastation of the environment can
take topographic point and likely will if something is non done to control the population
growing. When discoursing Hardin & # 8217 ; s essays it is necessary to face the
job of in-migration. Immigration is responsible for about 40 per centum
of the population growing in the United States ( Douglis 12 ) . The United States
now accepts more immigrants than all other developed states combined
( Morganthau 22 ) . It is estimated that about one million immigrants from
all over the universe are doing the United States their new place each twelvemonth ( Mandel
32 ) . This estimation does non include illegal in-migration, which makes this entire
even greater ( McKenna 336 ) . It is obvious that immigrants have a much better
life in the United States than in their old places. Immigrants come to the
United States to profit from the United States & # 8217 ; economic system, and return to their
original places with more money. Take for illustration a quote signifier a Malayan
immigrant working illicitly in the United States: ? If you take one dollar back
to Malaysia, it is dual the value. You work here to gain U.S. dollars so you
can greatly better your populating criterion in Malaysia. ? ( Mandel 32 )
While immigrants benefit themselves by coming to the United States, they leave
natural born Americans viing for occupations. By 2050, it is estimated that the
population of the United States will be near to 383 million. Of this,
about 139 million, or 36 per centum, will be immigrants and their kids.
This will do Americans of European descent, which in 1960 were an 89 per centum
bulk, a minority of less than 50 per centum ( Brimelow 42 ) . Immigration airss
great menaces to the national economic system, and costs taxpayers 1000000s of dollars
every twelvemonth. Studies show that post-1970 immigrants, legal and illegal, used
$ 50.8 billion of authorities services in 1992. Subtracting the $ 20.2 billion
they paid in revenue enhancements, the difference, which American taxpayers had to do up, was
$ 30.6 billion. These figures, averaged out, history for $ 1,585 for every
immigrant. Over the following 10 old ages, it is estimated that an extra $ 50
billion in American revenue enhancement money will travel toward back uping immigrants ( Thomas 19 ) .
Harmonizing to Garret Hardin & # 8217 ; s thought of Lifeboat Ethics, go oning to add to the
population of the United States will make many adversities. In order to convey
the population within a sensible figure, Hardin suggests population control.
Like other Neo-Malthusians, he states that this can merely be accomplished under
autocratic authorities. Under autocratic control, twosomes would no longer
be able to have private benefits from reproduction, while they pass the costs
of their birthrate on to society ( Chen 88 ) . He claims that single rights & # 8211 ;
peculiarly generative rights & # 8211 ; are excessively wide. He argues that population
control can non be achieved with birth control entirely. Birth control merely gives
the individual the pick of when to hold kids and how many to hold ( Chen 90 ) .
Therefore, in order to achieve a stable population, the right to reproduce freely can
no longer be allowed. Hardin begins his statement by observing that hapless states
hold a GNP of about $ 200 per twelvemonth, while rich states have a GNP of
about $ 3,000 a twelvemonth. Thus, there are two lifeboats: one full of every bit rich
people, the other disastrously overcrowded with hapless people. Because of the
overcrowding in the hapless lifeboats, some people are forced into the H2O,
trusting finally to be admitted onto a rich lifeboat where they can profit
from the? dainties? on board. This is where the cardinal job of? the moralss
of a lifeboat? becomes a primary issue. What should the riders on the rich
lifeboat do ( Hardin 223 ) ? First, Hardin notes that the lifeboat has a limited
transporting capacity, which he designates at 60. Fifty people are already aboard
the lifeboat, go forthing room for 10 more. He besides notes that the 10 empty infinites
should be left empty in order to continue the safety factor of the boat.
Assuming there are 100 swimmers waiting to be taken on board, what happens following
( Hardin 223 ) ? Hardin suggests three solutions. First of which is to let all
100 people to board the lifeboat. This would convey the entire riders of the
lifeboat to 150. Because the boat merely has a capacity of 60, the safety factor
is destroyed, and the boat becomes overcrowded. Finally the lifeboat sinks
and everyone drowns. In Hardin & # 8217 ; s words, ? complete justness, complete calamity?
( Hardin 224 ) . The 2nd solution is to let merely 10 more people on the boat,
get rid ofing the safety factor, but maintaining the boat from going excessively overcrowded.
The job with this solution though is which swimmers to allow in, and what to
state to the other 90 left stranded in the H2O ( Hardin 224 ) . The concluding solution
is to let no 1 in the boat, therefore greatly increasing the opportunities of endurance
for the 50 riders already on board. This solution, to many of the
riders, would be incorrect, for they would experience guilty about their good fortune.
Hardin offers a simple response: Get out and give up your place to person else.
Finally, if all of the guilt ridden people relinquish their seats, the boat
would be guilt free and the moralss of the lifeboat would once more be restored
( Hardin 224 ) . Hardin following argues the issue of reproduction. He notes that
populations of hapless states dual every 35 old ages, while the populations of rich
states dual every 87 old ages. To set it in Hardin & # 8217 ; s perspective, see the
United States a lifeboat. At the clip Hardin wrote his essay, the population of
the United States was 210 million and the mean rate of addition was 0.8 % per
twelvemonth, that is duplicating in figure every 87 old ages ( Hardin 225 ) . Even though the
populations of rich states are outnumbered by the populations of hapless states
by two to one, consider, for illustration, that there are an equal figure of people
on the exterior of the lifeboat as there are on the lifeboat ( 210 million ) . The
people outside of the lifeboat addition at a rate of 3.3 % per twelvemonth. Therefore,
in 21 old ages this population would be doubled ( Hardin 225 ) . If the 210 million
swimmers were allowed onto the lifeboat ( the United States ) , the initial ratio
of? Americans? to? Non-Americans? would be one to one. But, 87 old ages subsequently, the
population of? Americans? would hold doubled to 420 million, while the? Non-
Americans? ( duplicating every 21 old ages ) would now hold increased to about 3.5
billion. If this were the instance, each? American? would hold more than 8 other
people to portion with ( Hardin 225 ) . Immigration causes more jobs than those
discussed by Hardin. It causes societal clash, and the diminution of English-
talking Americans ( Morganthau 22 ) . As more and more immigrants hapless into
American metropoliss, they jointly will experience no demand to larn the English
linguistic communication. If one metropolis becomes a bulk of immigrants instead than a bulk
of natural born Americans, tenseness is the consequence. This tenseness will ensue in
social segregation, which will eventually take to political segregation ( James 340 ) .
There are many statements that focus on the benefits of in-migration. Arguments
that conclude that in-migration creates occupations, promotes a diverse civilization, and
even statements that in-migration may bring forth the following Einstein. These statements,
that the United States should non shut its boundary lines, come chiefly from those
people who claim that the United States is a runing pot. If the United States
continues to populate by the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, it is
destined to make more bad than good, non merely socially and politically, but
besides environmentally. Arguments for in-migration tend to lose the primary job
that in-migration causes: the environmental job. Immigration means more
people. More people give rise to the demand for more living infinite which in bend
leads to devastation of the environment. Even though in-migration may be
beneficial in some ways, the United States must protect its national individuality,
and even more significantly, it must protect what land it has left. Failure to
near the doors to immigrants will continually increase environmental, economic,
and social jobs in America. Without proper statute law, these jobs
will ne’er be solved. Although America is the land of chances, the
environment must non be taken for granted. For if it is, catastrophe is inevitable.
Decision
The Book of Genesis tells the narrative of creative activity of adult male. God said to adult male, ? be
fruitful and increase in Numberss ; make full the Earth and subdue it. ? Prior to the
19th century, it was believed that God would supply for those who came
into the universe ( Day 101 ) . But, in 1798, this position was shaken by Thomas Malthus & # 8217 ;
An Essay on the Principle of Population, in which he concluded that while
population additions geometrically, agricultural production merely increases
arithmetically. Therefore, finally, nutrient production will non be able to maintain up
with an increasing figure of people. The inquiry is, which theory can be
justified? Those who say the we ever have room for more people fall into the
class who feel that the Bible justifies increases in population. What these
people fail to understand is that when more people are added, the criterion of
life lessenings. These people who say that populating infinite is near space may
be right in their beliefs. The inquiry is, which is more desirable: the
maximal figure of people at the lowest criterion of life & # 8211 ; or a smaller figure
of people at a comfy criterion of life ( Hardin 58 ) ? In order to foster
represent how increasing population decreases the criterion of life,
consideration should be given to a survey done by the National Institute of
Mental Health. The survey was done to demo the negative effects of
overpopulation ( Calhoun 6 ) . This survey shows what the universe has to look frontward
to if Garrett Hardin and Thomas Malthus are right. Four male and four female
mice were placed in an eight pes square coop. The eight mice were non capable
to jobs they may hold faced in the outside universe. In two old ages the eight
mice turned in to 2,200 mice. During this clip, the effects of overcrowding had
become relevant, as non one newborn mouse had survived in the two twelvemonth proving
period. Finally, after two old ages and three months, the concluding mouse ( a female )
died ( Calhoun 6 ) . During the experiment, assorted abnormalcies were considered
related to the overcrowding. Once the transporting capacity of the coop was reached
( 620 ) , unusual things started to happen. Aggressiveness and cannibalism overcame
some of the mice. Sexual activities became perverted. Some mice become
overly active, while others became? inactive blobs of living substance? ( Calhoun
6 ) . One of the experimenters stated the deductions of the survey. He noted
that the mice were capable to a perfect existence, free from disease, conditions,
etc. The mice progressed and took advantage of their ideal home ground, but merely
until they ran out of room. The abnormalcies of the mice became so prevailing
that even after the mouse population returned to its original carrying capacity
( 620 ) , there was nil that could be done to change their behaviour. Before all
of the mice died some were taken out and placed in a new environment, left to
freely reproduce once more. This resulted in failure though, as all of the
offspring shortly died. In decision, the survey showed that the state of affairs of the
mouse population would turn worse until the animate beings destroyed their full universe
( Calhoun 6 ) . If this experiment would keep true for the human race, it is clip
( possibly even past clip ) to do some alterations. Either manner, the Earth is non to be
taken for granted. No longer can natural resources be used as if there is an
infinite supply. Even if there is an infinite supply ( and one may ne’er cognize )
sustainability remains to be the best manner to wholly guarantee that natural
resources are used in the most effectual mode. But if natural resources are
non infinite the hereafter of human endurance is in hazard.
b5c
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March 1994, pp. 36-43.
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Brown, Lester R. ? The Earth is Runing Out of Room. ? USA Today Magazine,
January 1995, pp. 30-32.
Calhoun, John B. ? Not by Bread Alone: Overcrowding in Mice. ? Man and the
Environment. Dubuque, Iowa: William C. Brown Company Publishers, 1971.
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November 1993, pp. 88-92.
Day, Henry C. The New Morality: A Candid Criticism. London: Heath Cranton
Limited, 1924.
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pp. 10-23.
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Business Week, 21 June 1993, pp. 32-35.
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