The Causes Of Overpopulation

Overpopulation is where the number of people on earth exceeds the carrying capacity of earth. It is caused by a number of factors namely; reduced mortality rates, better medicinal care and technological advancements, for example. If the number of people who died constantly equaled the number of people being born then the world population would stabilize however this is not the case. Technological advances are perhaps the biggest reason for the imbalance. Science has been able to discover multiple cures for illnesses, and produce easier means of getting food, evoking an increase in the longevity of one’s life. Furthermore the scientific advancements were able to alter a female’s fertility. People who were previously barren could now undergo treatments to be able to conceive. Meaning that there is now an increased possibility for more humans to may populate the

This leads to deforestation, robbing a country of potential renewable revenues to house people, replacing it with otherwise useless plots of clear land. By reducing forests many are subject to a disadvantage. Up to 70% of the world’s plants and animals live in forests. Destroying their homes can lead to a decrease in numbers or even extinction of an entire species, which consequently will affect other organisms, consequently causing a state of disorder among multiple food chains. Forests also help to absorb green house gases, and produce oxygen, a requirement on earth for most any organism to live. Without trees more carbon and green house gases, which fuel global warming, are free to enter the atmosphere. To make matters worse trees become carbon sources as they are cut, burned and transported. Without tree roots to anchor the soil or coverage from the tree tops the soil is bared to the full force of the weather and problems like flooding and infertility may arise. There will also be soil erosion (landslides) that may lead to silt dirtying lakes, streams and other water suppliers. Deforestation is not only used to create land for farming, housing and buildings, it is also used for logging, masonry and paper making among other things. In theory all of the aforementioned alternative reasons for deforestation could be sustainable activities, creating revenue without diminishing the resource however this has not been applied. Leaving many animals dead or homeless, and polluting both water and air. The green house gases only increasing as the wood travels from place to