 Population distribution: refers to the way people are spread over the earth surface; the pattern where people live in an area.  Ecumene: is use to describe permanently inhabited/populated places.

 About 30% of the land is not good for human settlement. › Over half of the world’s population lives on only 5% of the land, and 90% of people live on 20% of the land. › Two-thirds of people live within 500km of the ocean.

 Population density: describes the number of people in a given area. › This figure is calculated by dividing the total population of a region by the area of the region.

2007

 World Population Distribution › Dependent on the GEOGRAPHY!  The most densely populated areas are north of the equator: › Europe + Asia

 Relationship to Landforms: › Lowland areas - are the most heavily populated (coastlines and river valleys in, for example, India, China, and Egypt). › Highland areas - sparsely populated, rugged and cold, exceptions being in Switzerland, Japan, Java and the Philippines.

 Relationship to Climate: › Very low populations in extremely cold and dry regions, some exceptions being Israel (irrigation) and Kuwait (oil wealth).

 Crude densities: shows how much one area can accommodate in terms of population.

 Population density = the population of an area is not always accurate. Example: Canada  most of the population lives in a small area  not a lot of population live in large areas  population concentrated in cities.

 Nutritional densities: how much nutrition (in calories) can be produced from the land. Areas with good soil, adequate temperature, and rain for plants to grow have a higher nutritional density. In the developing world, nutritional density is low.

Millions Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2003 Revision (medium scenario),

Source: Population Reference Bureau, 2005 World Population Data Sheet. Percent Population Change,

 Vfk7_iQ&feature=related Vfk7_iQ&feature=related

 Can the population of the world be fed?

 There are two schools of thought (views/theories) on global population growth:

 Pessimistic (Malthusian) : there are not enough resources for such a large and growing population.  Optimistic (Cornucopian) : we will find ways to solve the world’s population growth problems.  Many theorists base their views on the carrying capacity of our planet.

 Carrying capacity of the world means: › The maximum number of people our world can possibility support based on resources such as food and water.

 Do you think the capacity of the earth be changed or is it fixed (unalterable)?  Can the earth support more than 12 billion people?  Why or why not?

 In An Essay on the Principals of Population (1798), Thomas Malthus (a Malthusian) argued that the world’s population will continue to increase until there is no longer enough food to support more people.

 Once that happens, future population growth will be curtailed by famine and starvation = death.

 Malthus’s view suggests that the Earth has a fixed carrying capacity = only so much food can be grown and the maximum world population cannot change.

Malthus agreed that humanity was capable of increasing its productivity, but believed that population growth would necessarily outpace this increase.

 Is Malthus a Pessimist or an Optimist when it comes to population growth?

 In The Conditions of Agricultural Growth (1965), Danish economist Esther Boserup (a Cornucopian) argued that population growth leads to new innovations in agriculture, which in turn allow more food to be grown.

 When more food is grown, the maximum population that can be supported increases.  Here theory can be summed up as: “Necessity is the mother of invention."

 Boserup, is not naïve to think that population growth can go on forever; but, unlike Malthus, she does believe the carrying capacity of our planet can be increased = innovations make it sustainable for a growing population.

This graph shows how the rate of food supply may vary but never reaches its carrying capacity because every time it is getting near, there is an invention or development that causes the food supply to increase.

 Is Boserup a Pessimist or an Optimist when it comes to population growth?

 Both of these theories show that there is always going to be population growth but the questions is how will it be kept in check?  How will the production of resources keep up and how will technology cope?

 Spend a minute in a Test Tube with David Suzuki (a Realist) :  tube.com/watch ?v=8x98KFcMJeo tube.com/watch ?v=8x98KFcMJeo  b.ca/#/testtube b.ca/#/testtube

 What is Suzuki saying about humans and the planet; about population growth?  Is he a Pessimist or Optimist or something else/something in- between or outside of these categories?

 Suzuki is saying that humans, our population growth, and our relationship with the planet is not balanced.  That all we think about is growing without understanding how many resources we have or do not have; that science will save all of us.

 Suzuki is saying that the earth’s carry capacity is fixed and finite and that there are no other earth’s (that we know of) to move to so we better learn how to live in connection/in a relationship with/respect our environment or goodbye humans.  We can use our ingenuity but it has to respect the environment.

 He is neither a Pessimist or Optimist.  He is a bit of both = a Realist.

 Aboriginal world views/perspectives of the land and the earth as a whole also emphasize balance and respect.  A deep and genuine relationship with the Earth has long been a central tenet of First Nations worldviews and philosophy.

 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people truly connected with the Earth as their Mother = the natural world is considered home, and the rightful stance to take upon her is a respectful, interconnected one of stewardship, sustainability and gratitude.

 Earth gives birth to, nurtures and sustains all life = it provides us with our food and clean water sources and bestows us with materials for our homes, clothes and tools.

 Earth provides all life with raw materials for our industry, ingenuity and progress.  It is the basis of who we are as “real human beings” and we have to be caretakers of the Earth and realize and respect its gifts of water, air and fire.

 What do you think now about population growth? Explain.  How will we (or will we) be able to live from now on? That is, what changes should we or do we have to make?