Population Growth rate
History of Human Population
-Human populations were kept in check by diseases, famines and wars until the middle ages ex: Infanticide, Bubonic Plagues
-Populations began to increase rapidly after A.D. 1600 (Increased sailing and navigating skills, agricultural developments, better sources of power, better health care and hygiene)
-We are now in a J-curve, population is increasing at an exponential rate. Our present population is 6.6 billion people and growing by 100 million people per year.
Demographics-vital statistics about people (births, deaths, where people live, total population size)
1) Crude Birth rate-the number of births in a year per thousand persons
2) Crude Death rate-the number of deaths per thousand persons in any given year
3) Life Expectancy-the average age that a newborn infant can expect to attain in any given society
To calculate the annual rate of population growth subtract the crude death rate from the crude birth rate and divide by 10.
The replacement fertility rate is the number of children a couple must have to keep the population stable. In the third world it is 2.7, in the US it is 2.1.
-Developing countries have seen the greatest progress
-Discrepancies in how benefits are distributed within a country are shown by varying life expectancies at different areas in a country
-Annual income has a strong correlation to life expectancy
Developing Countries-residents live for about twice as long as they used to
Developed Countries-increase not as great because it was higher to begin with
Impact on Resources-The more people there are, the more resources are used. Especially in developed countries like the U.S. where the amount of resources used per person is greater then in less developed countries.
Carrying Capacity-local, regional and global
-The number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural social, cultural and/or economic environment for present and future generations. As the environment is degraded, carrying capacity gets smaller. The maximum carrying capacity for humans on the Earth is 13-15 billion. The average ecological footprint an American makes is approximately 12 acres/person. Our footprint is the number of acres required to meet the resource needs of an individual.
Population Projections and Solutions
-There could be a population overshoot past the carrying capacity and then a die-off or we could adjust our population growth to an S-curve
-Estimated Demographic Transitions-from high birth and death rates to lower birth and death rates due to improved living conditions and economic development
-Cairo Conference-179 countries met in 1994 to develop an action plan to deal with population growth and included issues such as poverty and health care
-5 Basic Components
1) Provides family-planning services
2) Promotes free trade, private investment, and assistance to countries that need help.
3) Addresses issues of gender equity.
4) Addresses issues of equal access to educational opportunity.
5) Educates men.
*Female Education and Economic Status-If females are educated about birth control, and made aware that they do not need to have many children to replace them, they will not have as many babies. Also, if their economic status is improved, many women will get jobs instead of having children
-Family Planning
-Fertility Decline in Rich Countries
-Abortion-RU486, methotrexate, misprostol, surgical abortion
-Avoidance-Body temp. technique, celibacy/abstinence
-Barrier-Condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, vaginal sponge, spermicide, IUD
-Chemical-"The Pill"
-Surgical-Tubal litigation, vasectomy
