Population control. Can it be the solution?
We, humans, love to revel in our reproductive fitness. The ability to grow in number and pass on our genes to the next generation, makes us feel that we are fulfilling a higher purpose in life. It makes us feel that we are taking part in the creative process of this vast universe.
But one thing that we disregard is that we live on a very small orb in this amazingly vast universe whose bounds we know not. And this small orb is the only place we can call home at the moment. Everything we do affects it in a large way.
Yes, this small orb that I am talking about is our very own Mother Earth. One group argues that the earth is limited in size and resources and that it can only sustain a limited number of lives. As humans continue to increase in number, they will give rise to more poverty. Resources will continue to deplete as there are more and more mouths to feed.
Especially, in poor countries, rapid growth in population is a huge obstacle to economic growth. It weighs down on the living standards, by imposing a great burden on the health sector and education sector thus giving rise to malnutrition, illiteracy, and, by extension, unemployment. Degradation of living standards can fuel political unrest and always keep the sitting government on edge of instability.
We can find a lot of fascinating theories in the academic sphere which explain the socioeconomic and political effects of a population growth spurt. One such theory is the law of diminishing returns. Ever heard of it? Those of you who ever sat in an economics class must have definitely heard it. So this guy; Malthus, a classical economist, came up with this theory that linked population with the law of diminishing returns and argued that both are inversely proportional. His theory argues that as the population increases, there are fewer goods available for each person in the market, thus creating scarcity. Moreover, cultivable land becomes scarce as more people inhabit it, so, the food supply falls.
As the number of children increases, the burden also increases on the resources, as these new humans only consume and not produce. This weighs down on the savings and hence investments of a household.
Neo-malthusians argue that if a humane end is not sought to population explosion then we will see more droughts, famines, smog, depleting forests, more conflicts, epidemics, crime, and traffic gridlocks. The quality of life in big metropolitan cities has already gone down as it is. I have been living in the city of Karachi for the past 20 years. During this time I have seen it grow exponentially. As the city began to spill over, new housing societies came into being on the outskirts of the city and today it seems as if the city has no bounds. The problems that have ensued with this unregulated growth, such as water scarcity, lack of green spaces, rising heat index are a resounding warning of impending doom.
So, what could be the solution to our population problem? The neo-Malthusian are of the opinion that a population optimum can be achieved where the number of new humans coming into this world can be balanced by the number of humans leaving it. Controlling the supply of humans, so to speak, in lay terms. It can be achieved either by promoting the use of contraception in poor countries or by encouraging people to exercise moral restraint.
Well, this blog is intended to just start the discussion and make you think about the issue of population explosion. A lot more can be said on this topic and a lot more relevant theories can be stated for and against the argument of population control.
You got anything to say about it, just hit me with it. Until next time. Ciao.