The Devastating Effects of Overpopulation

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The Devastating Effects of Overpopulation

Imagine living in a world where darkness reigns continually due to a dense cover of toxic air pollution which blocks most sunlight. Starvation and death from the lack of energy resources is widespread and the people who have not perished yet live packed together, in overcrowded communities surrounded by waste and filth. This grotesque picture of future life on earth may seem far-fetched but with the continued rise in population and the abuse of our planet by billions, this scenario may be closer to reality then previously thought.

The Earth will soon not be able to sustain life if the population continues to escalate. With the constantly rising numbers of humans, vital resources needed to survive are becoming extinct and the environment is being polluted as to almost make life unbearable. Every individual will need to open his or her eyes to this growing and potentially devastating problem and take the necessary measures to stop it.

Is the planet really overpopulated? The estimated population of Earth is 5.5 billion people with an annual growth rate of 1.7%. This rate accounts for approximately 93 million births yearly (Daily 1). This means that the world’s population has more than doubled since 1950 and it is projected to continue to 8.2 billion by 2025 and eventually reach 14 billion in 2100 (Miller 1). Earth has a finite amount of resources and a fixed size but the number of people and the resources we consume per capita is continually

escalating. With this increase the carrying capacity of earth, which is to

say the number of living things a given area can support, is being threatened

and our planet may not be able to support its' inhabitants indefini...

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