Topic 3: The Human Population

1. I belive that Dr. Ehrlich is correct. The United States produces little positive products compared to the negative environmental impact it creates. As one country, and one without 6 billion people, we create 1/3 of the worlds pollution. That means that every other country in the world combined makes up the rest of that 2/3 of the pollution.

US citizens demand more, use more, and waste more in their everyday lives. Think about how much trash you throw away daily, how much water you use to flush a toilet or just to rinse your hands before meals. It is easy to see the truth in Dr. Ehrlich's statement that a baby born in the us will cause 1,000 the damage as someone born in a less developed country.

2. I am very much in favor of China's campaign to reduce birth rates. Many of their citizens live in crowded urban areas, and in rural areas they are of subjected to less than sanitary living conditions. In overcrowded urban areas, resources can be difficult to find, and basic utilities such as schools, water supply, and many other needs are stretched thin.

With nearly 1.3 billion people, China has the right idea to campaign for a reduced birth rate. Methods such as sexual education, providing methods of birth control, economic incentives, and female empowerment are all great ways to go about it. Education will, in addition to reducing birth rates, hopefully lower the transmissiion of STD and other diseases. Providing birth control puts women more in control and opens up doors to opportunities they may not have had before. Economic incintives can help people out in tough times, and can also stimulate the economy. All in all China has the right idea. Because when one has 1.3 billion people, and when world population has reached 7 billion, it may be time to make a little breathing room and give the earth a break.