...Human Population Growth SCI/230 October 26, 2014 The world population growth is defined very simply as the number or estimated number of total births in a given period, usually a year, minus the number of total deaths. The difference between these two numbers tells us how many people are being added to the world population each year. The growth rate is this number divided by the total population and multiplied by 100 to get a percentage. While the world saw an increase in the total human population by more than 80 million in 2010, demographers note that the population growth rate has been declining since the early 1960s. It's in this phenomenon of a declining growth rate that we find the key difference between the two curves. Moreover, one of the two fundamental growth curves proposed to explain increases in human population is the exponential growth curve. This curve assumes that the population growth rate remains fairly constant and that the population will continue to double in an increasingly shorter period of time. It's called an exponential growth curve because it plots the output of an exponential equation. In the years since the early 1960s, observed declines in the rate of population growth -- the percentage of the world population added per year -- began to suggest that population growth is not likely to be exponential. In exponential equations, population growth rate does not slow down, it continues at a constant rate. In the logistic growth curve by contrast...
Words: 388 - Pages: 2
...Human Population Growth The world population growth is defined very simply as the number, or estimated number, of total births in a year, minus the number of total deaths. The difference between these two numbers tells us how many people are being added to the world population each year. To find this number, two types of population growth curves are proposed to explain increases: the exponential growth curve and the logistic growth curve. The exponential growth curve is when the population grows at a constant rate over time. It does not take into account competition, lack of resources, disease, etc. In other words, according to the exponential growth curve, the only thing that controls how fast or slow the population grows is the birth rate. On a more realistic level comes the logistic growth curve. This curve factors in the important reality that states, as the number of individual organisms in the population increases, resources need to increase as well. Also, human population growth HAS changed over time, but these changes were based on numerous factors that included disease, birth rate, economic conditions, etc. However, overall, the human population growth has slowed over the past century and projections indicate that the environment is near its carrying capacity. With this, food production must dramatically increase to keep up with the growing population or our population will be in trouble. While population growth, of any species, may be beneficial to...
Words: 273 - Pages: 2
...Assignment: Human Population Growth There are two types of population growth and they are expressed in the form of models explaining each theory. The exponential population growth model describes population’s expansive capabilities to an unlimited size and scope. Each generation is calculated using specific factors to formulate the amount of population growth by the births and subtracting deaths over a specified period of time. The rate of a population relies on the growth of the population groupings that are calculated. A population’s size can be greatly reduced or increased by environmental factors. For example, if there is a drought or severe cold weather, population increases can be greatly reduced because of the lack of necessary resources such as food and water. The lack of competition for certain food sources, because of reduced populations, can have the reverse effect on other animals and their populations can be increased. Even though exponential growth is possible, it is not sustainable because eventually the populations will consume all resources that are necessary for the continuing of the species. The logistic population growth model describes the reality that natural environments do have limits to their natural resources that benefit population growth. These limits keep species populations in check and allow only a certain amount of individuals to live successfully in any one environment. The growth rate of populations, in the logistic model, decreases as...
Words: 622 - Pages: 3
...HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH SCI/230 The human population started off slow until the beginning of the 1900s when the industrialization of the world changed mortality rates. This is evident by the logistic growth curve of the population from year one to the 1800s, when the population reached the 1 billion mark. The population did not grow rapidly at this time and it actually remained flat for almost 1500 years at the beginning. The population then grew rapidly as advancements in medicine and nutrition in both Europe and the United States allowed humans to take control of their population's growth rate. This exponential growth curve showed that the population continued to increase at a steady rate as births rose and mortality rates declined. This exponential increase saw the population explode from 2 billion in 1927 to 3 billion in 1960. After this exponential increase the developed nations of the world developed contraceptives to control birth rates and the population growth declined to almost zero. This has not been the case in developing nations however as death rates have dropped but high birth rates have continued. This increase in population has created a large ecological deficit. In the United States alone the population requires twice the land and resources than what is available. This has caused humans to invade other habitats and force animals to either relocate or become extinct. This is creating the problem as humans face overpopulation and overconsumption...
Words: 286 - Pages: 2
...Human Population and Environmental Problems by PAUL R. EHRLICH, Ph.D.(Kansas) Professor of Biology and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, U.S.A. rather small number that are thought of as 'important' forms of wildlife—will have a dramatic negative feedback effect on the capacity of our planet to support human life. This is because, although politicians and laymen tend to focus attention on air pollution and water pollution as the most serious environmental problems, in fact the most devastating of all is the destruction of the life-support systems of our planet. These are the natural ecosystems that provide us with a series of public-service functions without which we cannot persist indefinitely on this Earth—such functions as maintaining the quality of the atmosphere, controlling roughly 99 % of the potential agricultural pests, recycling of our waste products, and many other services that we cannot perform for ourselves (Ehrlich et al., 1973). The third message which I would like to give you is that the time for research as a major approach to the world's problems is long past. If you are trapped in a forest, downwind from a forest fire, and it is raging towards you at ten or more kilometres per hour, you do not immediately convene a committee to study reforestation—you call for water. In human society, calling for water basically consists of promoting political action...
Words: 5349 - Pages: 22
...Human Population Growth SCI 230 August 16, 2013 Tammy Botten The term population growth refers to how the numbers of individuals in a population increases or decreases, with time. This growth is controlled by the rate of which new individuals are added to the population. Between the years 1800 and 1930 human population has doubled from one billion to two billion and then doubled again by the year 1975. This substantial growth in population has led to a decrease in population and biodiversity in many other species. The two types of population growth that can both be seen in human population growth are exponential growth and logistic growth. In population showing exponential growth the individual are not limited by food or disease. However in most real population both food and disease becomes important as condition becomes crowded. Logistic growth model is a more accurate representation of population growth because it takes into account that there are outside factors that may affect the growth. Logistic growth this is frequently used to model biological growth pattern where there’s an initial exponential growth period followed by leveling off as more as the population is infected so as the food supply or some other factors that limits further growths. Exponential growth means that some quality grows a fixed percentage rate form one year to the next. If the population has a constant birth rate through...
Words: 364 - Pages: 2
...Human Growth Population needs to be left alone, because either way it goes the population is going to keep growing. People need to leave it alone there is nothing they can do about it. Human Population Growth cannot be controlled by anyone so they might as well leave it alone. All Races are coming to the population to make it grow every each day so I think it should be left alone. I think it should be left alone because, women are still going to have kids and make the population grow even more. The people who need to control it are the men because they are making the babies and making the population growth. No one can just stop people from having kids, they are going to do whatever they want until it’s time to stop. People just need to leave...
Words: 405 - Pages: 2
...GLOBAL ISSUES – Possible Topics Human Conflicts: Peacekeeping, conflict prevention, terrorism Digital Divide Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Biotechnology Rules Illegal Drugs Trade, Investment, and Competition Rules Intellectual Property Rights International Labor and Migration rules Third World Debt Oil Consumption Biodiversity and Ecosystem Losses (Extinction) Global Warming / Climate Change Genetically Engineered Food Human Population Growth Global Infectious Diseases Women’s Rights Rights of Indigenous People Poverty Famine Energy Consumption Deforestation Human Rights Issues Pollution Drinking Water / Water Deficits Fisheries Depletion Maritime Safety and PollutionSome websites to visit: http://www.globalissues.org/ Global Issues That Affect Everyone http://www.who.int/topics/en/ The World Health Organization list of health topics http://www.un.org/english/ The United Nations website. Also check out the Documents and Maps section at the very top of the page to get some good maps. http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/index.html The National Geographic site for maps and lots of information about regions around the world. Also check out the links for People & Places and News on the left side of the page for more information on various topics. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html The CIA Factbook. Good detailed information about every country in the world. Select a country or location. http://www...
Words: 274 - Pages: 2
...acknowledged appropriately. Index: Page 1-2: Why the current trend in human population growth is a danger to our planet. Page 3-4: How we can solve the problem concerning the current trend in human population growth. Page 5: Ethical issues concerning population control. Page 6: Personal view on the issue. Page 7: Bibliography. “Is the current trend in Human population growth a danger to our planet?” Yes. The current trend in Human population growth is a serious issue, and, as of late, it has been the focus of numerous scientific debates and studies. Why is it a danger to our planet?...
Words: 2024 - Pages: 9
...philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, at a time when the world populace amounted to only 190 million. Today in 2016 this concern is still ever present and the world population amounts to a total of 7 billion, this massive leap in the human population has caused major concerns in both the public and scientific society with regards to its possible effects on the environment and the worlds’ future economic structure and gives great reason to believe that yes, overpopulation is a valid concern in todays’ society. Reasons for Concern Mankind reached the population of 1 billion in 1804 after 200 000...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
...Population Growth and Ecological Footprints The population size (N) of a species at any point in time (t) is determined by its size at (t-1), its per capita birth rate (b), its per capita death rate (d), and immigration and emigration. Each of these values is, in turn, affected by a huge suite of biotic and abiotic conditions. Human populations are governed by these same variables. In this laboratory, you will use models of population growth to understand how population growth is affected by changes in b and d, and why the actual values of b and d are important. You will also explore some dimensions of human impacts on the environment. A model is a mathematical description of how one thinks a system works. For a population growing at a constant rate, where b and d never change, an appropriate model for population growth is the exponential growth model: dN/dt = rN where r = b – d, assuming that immigration and emigration are negligible. This is a density-independent model since neither b nor d change with increasing population size. Conversely, the logistic model is a density-dependent model, where b and d change with changes in the population size: dN/dt = rN [(K-N)/K] where K = carrying capacity of the environment. In this lab you will use a simple Excel spreadsheet model to explore how population size (N) changes as b and d change under the two different growth models, exponential and logistic. The spreadsheets have areas that you...
Words: 1573 - Pages: 7
...Environmental Science and Human Population Worksheet Using the textbooks, the University Library, or other resources, answer each of the following questions in 100 to 200 words. 1. What would you include in a brief summary on the history of the modern environmental movement, from the 1960s to the present? According to http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Environmental_Movement.aspx. The modern environmental movement was highlighted with a book titled Silent Spring by Rachel Carson which spent several weeks atop the New York Bestsellers List. The book highlighted the issues with pollution on the larger scale. By 1970 President Lyndon B Johnson signed nearly three hundred preservation bills with 12 million in support funds. President Nixon continued by leading the way for more the 12 thousand statements and Acts along with the EPA. 1980 the EPA took a large reduction in support and funding. Since the 1980 the world as a whole has been fighting to reduce the carbon footprint. 2. Explain the primary concern over exponential population growth. What promotes exponential population growth? What constrains exponential population growth? Due to the great leaps forward in health and technical advances people are living longer. Food is being manufactured to last longer and more alternative resources or manmade inventions are being coupled with natural materials in order support the overwhelming population growth. This issue is that as humans become more linked with its...
Words: 627 - Pages: 3
...Population and Environment Theodore Panayotou CID Working Paper No. 54 July 2000 Environment and Development Paper No.2 Copyright 2000 Theodore Panayotou and the President and Fellows of Harvard College Working Papers Center for International Development at Harvard University Population and Environment Theodore Panayotou Abstract The past fifty years have witnessed two simultaneous and accelerating trends: an explosive growth in population and a steep increase in resource depletion and environmental degradation. These trends have fueled the debate on the link between population and environment that began 150 years earlier, when Malthus voiced his concern about the ability of the earth and its finite resources to feed an exponentially growing population. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on population and environment and to identify the main strands of thought and the assumptions that lie behind them. The author begins with a review of the historical perspective. He then reviews and assesses the evidence on the relationship between population and environment, focusing on selected natural and environmental resources: land use, water use, local pollution, deforestation and climate change. The author also reviews selected recent macro and micro perspectives. The new macro perspective introduces the environment-income relationship and examines the role of population growth and density in mediating this relationship. The new micro perspective introduces the...
Words: 19985 - Pages: 80
...University of Phoenix Material Environmental Science and Human Population Worksheet Using the textbooks, the University Library, or other resources, answer each of the following questions in 100 to 200 words. 1. What would you include in a brief summary on the history of the modern environmental movement, from the 1960s to the present? In the 1960’s the general population started to become more concerned with the environment’s health and well-being, and became a huge social movement. In 1960 Earth Day was created and laws were passed to control air pollution. There were other laws passed, too, such as the endangered species act in the 70’s. The Environmental Protection Agency was created to enforce the laws that were passed in the 70’s as well. In the 80’s Ronald Reagan was elected to presidency and was more business oriented and allowed companies to overlook the environment protection laws. In the 90’s issues such as global warming became a huge concern to the nation. Overall, there were a lot of good things that came out of the laws set into place in the 60’s and 70’s, including that the water and the air was some of the cleanest ever reported. 2. Explain the primary concern over exponential population growth. What promotes exponential population growth? What constrains exponential population growth? The biggest concern over exponential population growth is the fear that eventually the amount of people will over power our planet and our...
Words: 377 - Pages: 2
...|SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH & COMMUNITY MEDICINE | | |UNSW BLACKBOARD ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET | | |FAMILY NAME: |HENDRAWIJAYA |GIVEN NAME: |FELYA | |STUDENT NO: |3360382 |EMAIL: |Felya.hendrawijaya@hotmail.com | |PHONE (H): | |PHONE (W): | | |MOBILE: |0425067879 |FAX: | | |COURSE NO: |GENM0510 |COURSE NAME: | MANAGING MEDIA | |LECTURER: |DAVID THOMAS |DUE DATE: |21 December 2012 | |ASSIGNMENT: |FINAL ASSIGNMENT |QUESTION NO: | | For group assignments, please submit one cover sheet for the group, and list members of your group here: |Name |Student ID Number ...
Words: 1497 - Pages: 6
