1. Expanding human population is the root of all environmental problems

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

7. 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

9. 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

11. 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