7 Billion People and Growing
Lin Yar
COMM 100W
November 1, 2011
Humans Vs Earth, Current Score: 7 Billion to 1
Everything is good in moderation. We humans need sugar, salt, and fat in our bodies to survive. However, excess sugar can lead to diabetes, excess salt can lead to high blood pressure, and excess fat can cause obesity as well as heart disease. Water is also a vital necessity, but too much of it has proven to be lethal. Moderation applies to the planet as well, but the threshold of a moderate human population for Earth has long passed. By the end of this year, there will be more than 7 billion people simultaneously living on the planet. The continued increase of the population equates to certain consequences for all people in both an individual and collective perspective. This includes a decrease of food, water, and shelter units per person, an increase in the number of carbon footprints, and an overall gradually accelerated depletion of the world’s natural resources. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) launched a weeklong anthem that started on October 24th. They call it “7 Days to 7 Billion People” because the UN estimates that Earth will reach this number on the 31st. This year on Halloween, the human race has a real phenomenon to be afraid of: itself.
The two main factors that contribute to the skyrocketing population are medical advancements and the progress that has been made as an agrarian society. Like all other species, humans repopulate, as intended by nature, to ensure the survival of the species. The U.S. Census Bureau believes the population to have been close to five million people around 10,000 years ago. Since then, humans pioneered into the art of agriculture, which provided a reassurance of food, especially when compared to the lifestyle of hunting and gathering. Stephanie Pappas, a senior writer for Live Science explained that by the year 1250, the number of people rose to about 400 million, even though “plagues and wars took a toll
COMM 100W
November 1, 2011
Humans Vs Earth, Current Score: 7 Billion to 1
Everything is good in moderation. We humans need sugar, salt, and fat in our bodies to survive. However, excess sugar can lead to diabetes, excess salt can lead to high blood pressure, and excess fat can cause obesity as well as heart disease. Water is also a vital necessity, but too much of it has proven to be lethal. Moderation applies to the planet as well, but the threshold of a moderate human population for Earth has long passed. By the end of this year, there will be more than 7 billion people simultaneously living on the planet. The continued increase of the population equates to certain consequences for all people in both an individual and collective perspective. This includes a decrease of food, water, and shelter units per person, an increase in the number of carbon footprints, and an overall gradually accelerated depletion of the world’s natural resources. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) launched a weeklong anthem that started on October 24th. They call it “7 Days to 7 Billion People” because the UN estimates that Earth will reach this number on the 31st. This year on Halloween, the human race has a real phenomenon to be afraid of: itself.
The two main factors that contribute to the skyrocketing population are medical advancements and the progress that has been made as an agrarian society. Like all other species, humans repopulate, as intended by nature, to ensure the survival of the species. The U.S. Census Bureau believes the population to have been close to five million people around 10,000 years ago. Since then, humans pioneered into the art of agriculture, which provided a reassurance of food, especially when compared to the lifestyle of hunting and gathering. Stephanie Pappas, a senior writer for Live Science explained that by the year 1250, the number of people rose to about 400 million, even though “plagues and wars took a toll
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