Population 2 Flashcards
(25 cards)
Give 3 examples showing how quickly the world population is growing.
Over a billion people lack access to clean water.
We need to double the amount of food produced as soon as possible
In the 20th century, we tripled the number of human beings on earth in less than a lifetime.
What are the issues created as the population continues to grow?
Urban sprawl, overcrowding, disappearing tropical forests, plastic waste, atmospheric pollution
What is the single factor in every environmental problem studied?
Human Population Density
What does population growth threaten?
Natural environment, and our basic needs (water, food, energy)
What is the expected population by mid-century?
9 billion.
What is causing/will cause the most growth?
> 1B teenagers alive today, they will have children and grandchildren and grow old enough to be grandparents (higher life expectancy)
Where will populations shrink?
Japan, Germany, Eastern Europe
What allowed for rapid population growth since the 1800s (1B milestone)?
Control of death rates through reduction of infectious diseases
Which resource is the most strained as we continue to grow?
Water
What % of the earth’s available freshwater do humans appropriate?
> 50%
What is the earth’s freshwater used for?
Transforming deserts into fields, generating energy in rivers, build cities in arid regions
At the global scale, what two uses consume the most water?
Industry and agriculture
How will we double the amount of food that is currently produced? Why?
By raising productivity in the lands already cultivated (INTENSIFICATION). Necessary because there is no more land to expand to.
How has the increase in food production been done in the past?
In the 20th century, industrialized nations tripled their farming yields with synthetic fertilisers and mechanized processing.
How are the richest countries asserting food security? Where in the world?
Acquiring large tracts of land from the poorest. Throughout Africa, South America, Central Asia
What is problematic about how the richest countries assert food security for themselves?
Forces poorer countries to depend on foreign aid, struggling to feed themselves despite producing in their own country
How much is energy demand expected to grow over the next 20 years?
40%
What has cheap energy allowed us to do?
Appropriate the earth’s natural systems to serve our needs without paying attention to the long-term environmental effects.
What are some examples of the damage caused by cheap energy?
Depleted ocean fish stocks, large portion of animals approaching extinction
What is overshoot?
That the current average levels of consumption in most NA/EU countries, which they consider inadequate, is already exceeding the planet’s productive capacity.
We need the Earth to provide resources and _____
A sink for wastes (outputs)
What are 3 ways we can reduce environmental impact?
Less resources consumption, change technology, reduce population growth
How did China slow population growth?
One Child Policy
What simple technology is required for population sustainability?
Contraceptives
