Overpopulation In Canada Essay
The idea that Canada has a problem with overpopulation might strike most Canadians as absurd. Many see Canada as a vast empty land ripe for massive human settlement. (Cassils & Ward, 2001) Recent insights suggest that people greatly overestimate Canada 's carrying capacity.
To bring about major and essential shifts in perception, Canada needs to develop a population policy that looks at human numbers in the context of the natural environment that supports them. (Cassils & Ward, 2001) Accepting the common thought that Canada is a lightly populated country, most Canadians have concluded that the problem of overpopulation is a concern of other places and not them. However, the numbers say otherwise.
Since Confederation, the Canadian population has grown very quickly. It rose from 3,463,000 in 1867 to 31,000,000 in 2001. (Statistics Canada, 2002) The following chart shows this rise in population and its occurrence in each province. Statistics Canada (2002) …show more content…
Due to the large areas that are uninhabited, Canada 's overall population density is quite low. (Matthews & Morrow, 1995) However, Toronto and Vancouver are experiencing serious problems associated with their rapid, unplanned growth, yet Canada continues to actively seek large numbers of immigrants who gravitate towards these regions. (Address to the Humanist Assoc. of Canada, 1995)
When considering population, the policy makers compare Canada with other countries, many of which are grossly overpopulated and showing signs of severe ecological, social and political stress. (Address to the Humanist Assoc. Of Canada, 1995) It is usually decided that Canada has too few people, compared to these other countries. What are not considered however, are the carrying capacity of ecosystems in Canada and the long-term historical trend of the growth of human
To bring about major and essential shifts in perception, Canada needs to develop a population policy that looks at human numbers in the context of the natural environment that supports them. (Cassils & Ward, 2001) Accepting the common thought that Canada is a lightly populated country, most Canadians have concluded that the problem of overpopulation is a concern of other places and not them. However, the numbers say otherwise.
Since Confederation, the Canadian population has grown very quickly. It rose from 3,463,000 in 1867 to 31,000,000 in 2001. (Statistics Canada, 2002) The following chart shows this rise in population and its occurrence in each province. Statistics Canada (2002) …show more content…
Due to the large areas that are uninhabited, Canada 's overall population density is quite low. (Matthews & Morrow, 1995) However, Toronto and Vancouver are experiencing serious problems associated with their rapid, unplanned growth, yet Canada continues to actively seek large numbers of immigrants who gravitate towards these regions. (Address to the Humanist Assoc. of Canada, 1995)
When considering population, the policy makers compare Canada with other countries, many of which are grossly overpopulated and showing signs of severe ecological, social and political stress. (Address to the Humanist Assoc. Of Canada, 1995) It is usually decided that Canada has too few people, compared to these other countries. What are not considered however, are the carrying capacity of ecosystems in Canada and the long-term historical trend of the growth of human