The growing world population is taxing the resources of the Earth.
As human beings have evolved to a stage of scientific advancement and plenty, the population of the Earth has also expanded rapidly. In less developed times, more people died earlier due to disease. These days, due to medical advances, people are living longer, which is one reason why the world population is growing. This sort of growth has brought about some problems. Among the most notable are the demands made on the Earth's resources and overcrowding.
Use of Resources
The higher the number of people on the Earth, the bigger the need for resources. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the world's population, which in 2010 is close to 7 billion, will be closer to 9.5 billion by 2050. The availability of food and energy for this growing population are major issues. Population growth in developed countries has put a greater strain on the Earth's resources than growth in developing countries because developed countries consume more of the Earth's resources.
Soil Erosion
In areas of high population, the need for food leads to an extensive cultivation of the land, leading to tree cutting and the use of techniques such as crop rotation. When cleared ground is left bare, the valuable topsoil erodes. Without sturdy root systems to anchor the soil, water events become much more serious, possibly leading to severe flooding and mudslides.
Overcrowding
As the world population expands, there will be overcrowding on the Earth as more people fill the world. Some major world cities in developing countries are already experiencing this problem. For instance, according to demographia.com, the population density of Kowloon, a part of Hong Kong, was at more than a million people per square kilometer in 1990. This figure compares with a population density of 138 people per square kilometer for Oshkosh, a county in Wisconsin. As the world gets overcrowded, it may be more difficult to find any wide open spaces.
Tags: world population, Earth resources, developed countries, developing countries, more people
