Population

Popuation outline O World population O Country population O Developing, developed O Pyramids O Exponential growth O Environmental Impact

World Population O The current world population is over 7 billion people O Estimates for the population in the year 2050 are billion O The human carrying capacity has not been reached

Our carrying capacity O Carrying capacity is maximum population an environment can sustain. O Examples of populations where carrying capacity is reached: O Bacteria in a defined area O Field Mice O Others?

Human Carrying Capacity O We have not reached our carrying capacity for the Earth O The human carrying capacity keeps moving O Technology O Improved farming techniques O Ability to live in new areas

Population Pyramids O A country can be classified as O Developing O Developed O Population growth can be classified as: O Increasing O Decreasing O Stable

Developing Countries

O High birth rate O High infant mortality O High death rate O Low life span O Low income Why is it difficult for a developing country to control its growth?

Developed Countries

O Low birth rate O Low infant mortality O Lower death rate O Longer life span O Higher income

Negative Population Growth O 20 countries currently are at a negative growth (declining population) What challenges might a country with a declining population face?

Exponential Growth O Occurs when a population grows unchecked O Results in a “J” shaped growth curve

World Human Population from

Exponential Growth O Cannot occur indefinitely O Resources run out O Space runs out O Pollution of environment O As a population “out-uses” it’s space, it levels off O This is the population’s carrying capacity

Carrying Capacity

Carrying Capacity - fluxuations O As a population reaches it carrying capacity it will fluxuate above and below the actual capacity O If the population is over the carrying capacity than individuals die, bring the population below the carrying capacity

Environmental Impact O Population X affluence X technology = Environmental impact

O Developed countries overall have a larger environmental impact than developing countries. Why?

It is estimated that a US citizen consumes 35 times as much as the average citizen of India and 100 times as much as the average person in the world’s poorest countries.

Poor parents in a developing country would need kids to have the same lifetime environmental impact as 2 typical US kids.