Essay Population Growth, Industrialization, and the...

Population Growth, Industrialization, and the Environment Human population growth was relatively slow for most of human history. Within the past 500 years, however, the advances made in the industrial, transportation, economic, medical, and agricultural revolutions have helped foster an exponential, J-shaped rise in human population (Southwick, Figure 15.1, p. 160). The statistics associated with this type of growth are particularly striking: Human beings took more than 3 million years to reach a population of 1 billion people...The second billion came in only 130 years, the third billion in 30 years, the fourth billion in 15 years, the fifth billion in 12 years... (Southwick, p. 159). As human population has grown, there has†¦show more content†¦Though Ehrlich was ultimately incorrect in his hypothesis of mass human starvation, he was correct to view the necessary increase in food production as problematic. As more and more land is needed for agricultural purposes, several natural resources are being exhausted. Furthermore, ecosys tems are being systematically destroyed in order to support the growing population. The necessary minerals that give soil its fertility are constantly under threat of depletion by over-farming, though new fertilizer technology has lessened this problem somewhat. Difficulties are also occurring as some farmers search for new agricultural locations. This problem is most evident in the destruction of tropical rainforests. The large-scale clear cutting of rainforest, practiced in many parts of South America, has potentially eliminated a significant number of species that depend on the forests for survival. Humans might be able to reap benefits from these unknown species, such as treating certain diseases. Unfortunately, these benefits will remain unrealized with the elimination of large tracts of rainforest. The systematic destruction of large areas of forest can also potentially have severe climatic effects. Some scholars believe that the burning of large Australian forests by ancient homo sapiens brought about world climate shifts many thousands of years ago (NPR, 2002). It is very difficult to understand and predict the entire range of possibilities broughtShow MoreRelatedThe Stages of Industrialization1041 Words   |  4 PagesIndustrialization refers to a stage of social and economic transformation that alters a group or society from an agrarian one into an industrial society (Sullivan Sheffrin, 2003). Industrialization is associated with progress in the production of metallurgy and energy opening up the economy for manufacturing. It occurs as a broad process of modernizing in a society such that economic change and social change become strongly related to the technological innovations. 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Clean energy, new environmental regulations, and energy-efficiency are belied to help humans protect the nature. 2. Explain the main point concerning exponential growth and whether it is good or bad. Compare exponential growth to a logistic growth curve and explain how these might apply to human population growth. What promotes exponential growth? What constrains population growth?