Population growth is a global issue and cause for concern for the entire human race.

Due to the
recent trends of population increase around the world, it is important to become educated and aware
of the factors that cause populations to grow and the problems that occur due to this growth.

History

1. Historically, the population in areas around the world has remained relatively
stable. Humans have existed on the planet for centuries, living long enough to
reproduce successfully with offspring that survive to do the same for the next
generation. While earlier generations of humans generally did not live very long by
today's standards, historically speaking, the population stayed fairly stable. Any
growth or decrease in population size was the result of natural factors, such as food
surplus or shortage, or environmental disruption of some sort. However, over the
last couple of centuries there have been drastic increases in population size due to
rapid population growth on a global level.

Theories/Speculation

2. Scientific discoveries led to a variety of technological advances and inventions

that significantly impacted people's lives. These developments eventually led to
industrialization and made the production of goods more efficient than it had ever
been before. This led to improvements in the overall quality of life; people could
house and clothe themselves and their families more effectively. Surviving harsh
winters without falling victim to death or disease was now possible due to heating
systems that allowed people to stay warm, as well as proper garments. Advances in
science made it possible for people to take better care of themselves through the
practice of basic hygiene and sanitary food storage and refrigeration. As a result of
people being healthier, they lived longer, and the population grew.

Effects

3. The increase in the average length of a human life affected the amount of
children they could reproduce during their reproductive years. In addition,
improvements in basic health meant that many, if not all, of the offspring would
survive until they too could have children. Whereas many babies used to die as
infants, modern medicine coupled with better nutrition during pregnancy made it
possible for a mother to give birth to many healthy children. It became common to
see multi-generational families, with grandparent and great grandparent surviving to
see their descendants. The population growth occurred quite rapidly because people
had more children and survival until old age became common. However, as Western
nations were just beginning to realize it was time to have fewer children, less
developed countries began to pick up on many of these advances, and their
populations exploded in growth as well.

Significance
4. Population growth has resulted in overpopulation on a national and global level.
The increased demand for food, shelter and other elements necessary for survival
has strained the natural resources of the planet. Existing arable land produces lots
of food, but people around the world continue to starve because populations have
grown so significantly and distributing food to all is a logistical--and political--
nightmare. Many individuals in extremely overpopulated countries continue to
reproduce despite the lack of resources to support their children. The scope of the
world's population problem is enormous. It is already being felt by those in
developing countries, and it is only a matter of time before the population problem
begins to negatively impact individuals in Western nations, despite the population
control methods that might be used in such countries.

Prevention/Solution

5. In order to minimize current and future population growth, a global effort will have
to be undertaken by the countries who can afford to do so. This means educating
those in less affluent countries regarding the function and usage of various birth
control methods in addition to an understanding of the broader scope of the causes
and problems of population growth. It is important to realize that many places of the
world are still without technologies such as Internet and television, or may not have
access to educational resources. Education is the first key step in a solution to
population growth, because choices regarding reproduction are unlikely to be altered
without an awareness of population problems. People need to have fewer children in
order to slow population growth.

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