Population Flashcards
What are the 2 defining revolutions of population increase?
The agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution.
What is the current carrying capacity of the Western diet?
1.5 B
What is the current carrying capacity of the Indian/Asian diet?
15 B
What was Malthus’ perspective on carrying capacity?
Carrying capacity is fixed.
What was the GAIA perspective on carrying capacity?
More or less fixed, ecologically defined.
What was the cornucopian perspective on carrying capacity?
No limits to growth, culturally defined, technology is the answer to all problems.
What is the economic perspective on carrying capacity?
Similar to cornucopian, agricultural methods/innovations depend on necessity.
What are the factors affecting populations in the future?
Fertility/mortality, demographic momentum.
What is the replacement fertility rate in low-mortality countries?
2.1
What are the affecting elements of fertility?
Gender inequality, poverty, labour market.
What is the infant mortality rate and what does it indicate?
Ratio of deaths of infants per 1000 births. Indicates the level of healthcare.
What is demographic momentum?
Continued overall growth in a population due to preponderance of young people.
What does demographic momentum indicate?
How populations can still grow even after fertility rate is reached, or even fall below replacement rate.
What are the pre-industrial methods to keep population growth within limits of earth’s carrying capacity?
Chastity, delay marriage, banish sexual intercourse after a birth, infanticide, climate based restrictions.
What is the western model to control population growth?
Economic development = slower growth. As incomes increase, family size falls.
What is the desired demographic transition?
From high birth rates + high death rates to low birth rates + low death rates, older population, long life expectancy.
Why is it difficult for the developing world to reach this transition?
Environmental devastation in poor regions, globalization and trade barriers.
What are the future predictions for population growth?
Population continues to grow, 70-80 mil a year, lesser developed regions grow the most.
When is the expected peak of population and how much?
Mid 2080s, expected to reach 10.3 billion, then fall by 2100.
Is population growth even or uneven?
Uneven, it grows in all places but some at a much faster rate than others.
Where is life expectancy still lower?
In the poorest countries, life expectancy is ~7 years less than the global average.
What is the fastest growing age group?
People > 65.
What does the fastest growing age group indicate?
Shows the world population is aging.
What is a primary trend fueling growth in certain developed countries?
Migration.
