human effects

The increasing rate of population growth can have an alarming effect not only on the enviorment, but on humans as well.  The past several decades have displayed the prominent social consequences incurred on the human race as a result of their growing populations.  Overpopulation creates low living standards,  outbreaks of civil wars, not enough jobs, poor food supplies, and reduced education standards. 

When a society has more people relying on their environment than they can properly sustain, they are not able to produce enough food required by the excess population.  This need for a bigger food supply can lead to the society's need to clear forest areas through damaging slash and burn methods in order to develop a larger agriculture.  Right now these methods are being used to maintain the current food production.

The population of sub-Saharan Africa provides a clear example of a region suffering from over population.  their population is increasing by 3% yearly, while their food supply is only anualy growing by 1%.  This has led their and several other economically low countries' environments to such extreme conditions as desertification. 

The effects on humans from over population differ based on the economic status of the country.  The population increase in lower economic regions targets the "reproductive age classes."  Even China, which has established policies regarding the number of children alotted to families will suffer an increase when the babies born prior to restricting policies reach child-bearing age.  Economically higher regions are rapidly increasing their population with older aged people.  Because of medical and health improvements continually made, those living past 100 yrs. will have grown from 4,000 in 1970 to 1.4 million in 2040.  The distinctions made between richer and poorer lands has a severe effect on the increasing inequality of incomes between the various countries.  The wealthier regions over-consume and cause an excessive amount of pollution and waste.  The poorer areas continue to create poverty stricken environments which leads to deforestation, etc. in search of bigger food sources.  The economic gap between the polar incomes perpetuates itself into continual extremes of the rich and poor lands.  The increasing rates of population continue to have very harmful effects on the enviorment AND the humans themselves.