Expanding human population is the root of all environmental problems

Population growth Earth is currently at approximately 7 billion People What is the earths carrying capacity? It depends on the desired standard of living Whether resources are distributed equally among all populations That number is too high if all people are at the same level of developed countries

Birthrates Birthrate of 2.1 to replace population U.N. reports average birthrate of 1.8 for key developing countries 1.8 for China,1.2 Estonia,Italy has the lowest in Europe at 1.19 U.N. projections were 12 billion by 2050, have been revised to 9 billion

U.S. Population Just exceds 300 million and grows at 3.2 million per year About one half of growth is from immigration both legal and illegal At the current standard of living we can only support 200 million. One US citizen = 32 people in a 3rd world country. Homelessness, hunger, resource depletion, and pollution will result from trying to support too many people

Pollution Most kinds of pollution result from human activities Nutrient recycling means that matter cycles within and ecosystem Dumping or burying a chemical does not get rid of it Water pollution takes many forms, toxic wastes, Heat, plastics, Human wastes Any of these pollutants can find their way into groundwater, streams, lakes and oceans Drinking water treatment plants do not clean chemicals out of the water, only bacteria and dirt

Air Pollution Burning Fossil fuels releases Sulfur Dioxide into the atmosphere which combines with water to make Acid Rain This lowers the PH of lakes sometimes many miles from the point of origin which makes them uninhabitable CO2 is released into the Atmosphere causing the greenhouse effect and global warming CO2 reflects solar radiation back to the earth CO2 is absorbed by the ocean producing carbonic acid which lowers the pH of the ocean Chlorinated Florocarbons deplete the Ozone layer protecting the Earth, increase cancer and cateracts No new Nuclear power plants have been built in the U.S. in the last 30 years Methane gas has 20 times the effect of CO2

Water Resources Two thirds of earths population face water shortages 70% of water is used for irrigation GroundWater tables are dropping, almost 30 meters in Texas Salt Water intrusion is threatening ground water along coast 2.5 billion people do not have sanitation facilities When wastes or poisons enter water the tiny amounts of toxins build up and concentrate at the top of the food chain Lack of water is causing Desertification around the world, Rivers and lakes are drying up

Natural Resources Habitat Destruction due to expanding Human population Tropical rain forest the size of Costa Rica are cut down each year Coastal wetlands are filled in for housing construction or garbage dumps 12% of the worlds species lost in the last 10 years Taxonomists have described 1.4 million species, estimate there are 4-20 million more if we do not lose them first