The Global environment is being eroded gradually by human beings

The Global environment is being eroded gradually by human beings. Most people around the world consume natural resources without awareness that these resources will not last forever. Traditional thinking presumes that developing countries suffer from overpopulation and developed countries suffer from overconsumption (Hanauer, 1998). Population growth directly drives an increase in overall consumption, while also adding to problems beyond overall consumption, including social problems and negative impact on the environment (Hanauer, 1998). Human population has increased substantially since the 1960’s, but this growth rate has declined in recent years. This has been made possible due to initiatives such as family planning. Combined with this, lower death rate due to better medical facilities has caused an increase in population. Moreover, the world’s carrying capacity is insufficient to support humanity if people consume more resources in the future. Due to these facts, population and consumption in both developing and developed countries are the main factors causing pressure on the environment. Thus, controlling population and consumption are essential to reach sustainable development.

To our opinion, position of Hanauer, concerning the overconsumption and overpopulation is obvious- one shares the idea of saving natural sources and while reducing overpopulation and in this way giving an opportunity for future generations to get all needed natural sources, needed for the human race surviving.

            It is considered to be better and more humanistic to establish the national or international programs, directed to providing the maximal quantity of people in developed and developing countries, concerning family planning, but still everyone should be provided with an opportunity to make his or her own decision, concerning the quantitative characteristic of his or her own family (Hanauer, 1998,). More than that, the attitude and measures concerning overpopulation or decreasing of population in every country should be individually-developed, because the population growth is not even distributed in our planet  (Kates, 2000)/

            Another opportunity of solving the problem of overpopulation and overconsumption is with the help of developing of new technologies of getting additional sources of food, fresh water, and energy for future generations on our planet. If that issue is achieved- it would save the life in our planet, reduce risks of conflict situation between the countries and it would be one of the guarantors of piece all over the world (WorldWatch, 2004).

There are several strategies to reduce environment pressure due to population growth. One possible strategy is replacement fertility. ‘Replacement Fertility’ defines the criteria through which human population can be replaced in the long term. Taking into account the imbalance in sex ratio and mortality rate, replacement fertility can be achieved if a woman bears 2.1 children in her lifetime (Harrison, 2001). However, even though replacement fertility offers an intellectual concept regarding continuity and promoting sustainability through population control, it does not take dwindling resources into account. Tackling the increase in population is as important as tackling overconsumption, even though these two in the long term are linked together.

Another possible solution method is providing education about sustainable development in both developing and developed countries (Montensen, 2006). It is one of the most commonly agreed causes of overpopulation that a lot of the uneducated people have more children and the whole lack of family planning is due to the stark absence of basic education. In the case of getting high level of education, people would have enough knowledge, concerning the effects of overpopulation and their own inability to nurture their children well enough. Also, the education provides people with an opportunity of people understanding the problems of overpopulation and other, more individual ones- associated with bringing up children, providing them with all needed: food, water, education and all staff, requires for up-to-date level of life supporting. Moreover, studies have shown that better education for women in developing and developed countries is also essential because women who have a high education tend to have small families, healthy families and chose to delay marriage or childbearing (Nierenberg,2004). Hence, one of the best overpopulation solutions is to provide good basic education to all the people in developed and developing countries.

While both developing and developed nations accuse each other of being the culprit, the global environment is moving to the edge of a catastrophe constantly. Sustainable development needs to ease the deterioration of the environment. Corporation from all nations need to be responsible because each have their own strengths weakness for example; developing countries have sustainable knowledge and technologies, while developing countries have abundant natural resources. Hence, it is not just overpopulation but overconsumption that is putting pressure on the environment. If governments and people around the planet cooperate, then sustainable development may be reached in the near future: developing and practical implementing of the alternative sources of access to the fresh water, food and energy carriers are very actual and their constant improvement would save the life in our planet, reduce risks of conflict situation between the countries and it would be one of the guarantors of piece all over the world.

References

1. Hanauer, M. (1998, March). Overpopulation and Overconsumption: Where should we focus. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from San Diego State University: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/NPG%20ForumOverpop.html
2. Harrison, P., & Peare, F. (2001). Population and Consumption Trends. AAAS Atlas of population and Environment , 1-20.
3. Kates, R. (2000). Population and Consumption: What we know, What we need to know. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from Growth Madness: http://growthmadness.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/populationandconsumption.pdf
4. Suurkula, J. (2000). World overpopulation prognoses may be wrong. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from PS Rast: http://www.psrast.org/overpopprogn.htm
5. WorldWatch. (2004). Population and its discontents. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from World Watch: http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/EP175B.pdf