The American Center for Disease Control (CDC) keeps track of the American birth and deaths rates and publishes them every year.
Credit: CDC.GOV
Human beings and animals are becoming overpopulated in some areas. Overpopulation refers to a place becoming overloaded with one population of organisms.
Many factors result in overpopulation. Areas are left unpopulated when they are no longer able to sustain life, when this happens, people migrate to other regions which increases their population.
Humans demand more resources than are currently available. These resources are depleted faster than they can be replenished. For example, the consumption of food is at an all-time high.
There has been a decline in the death rate. The number of children born isn’t adding up to the number of people dying. If the number of babies born each year was equivalent to the number of people dying, the population could remain stable.
There are many reasons why the death rate increases. For example, the United States is continuously plagued by the influenza virus each year. On Jan. 26, 2018, The New York Times reported “This year’s flu season is now more intense than any since the 2009 swine flu pandemic and still getting worse, federal health officials said on Friday. Nationally, the number of people falling ill with flu is increasing. More worrying, the hospitalization rate — a predictor of the death rate — has just jumped.” The flu can get violent enough to take multiple lives.
Over the years, technology has advanced tremendously, being one of the main reasons why stabilization has been disturbed. Science made it possible to produce more food, which leaves many mouths fed, decreasing the rate of starvation. Medical science has also made it possible to prevent and cure many diseases. Illnesses that once took thousands of lives became curable due to vaccinations.
Technology has made it possible to endure fertility treatments, increasing the chance of conception further leading to a rise in birth rates. Along with this, some families are unable to plan, resulting in families having a large number of children. These children are sometimes neglected, poor and illiterate.
Overpopulation can be solved when families are aware of family planning. The population is growing rapidly; families should understand the severity of overpopulation. One of the most effective ways is practicing safe sex and using contraception which avoids unwanted pregnancy and later, overpopulation.
Sex education should be implemented in schools as most parents are uncomfortable discussing sex with their children. It may be an awkward conversation, but it is a part of life. As a result of not being taught about sex, children have these conversations with their friends or their peers. Some teenagers are quite impressionable and vulnerable. This results in sexually active teenagers know nothing about contraception and are too embarrassed to get help. It is important for parents and teachers to make their kids or students aware of sex education. It will prevent unwanted pregnancies, protect children and stabilize the population. Roland Martin, a CNN contributor, wrote, “How in the world do we say it’s OK for schools to teach our children about math, science, history and numerous other subjects, yet then get high and mighty with righteous indignation when biology is taken a step further to focus on sex?”
The animal population is also a huge factor. According to PETA, “Every year in the U.S., more than 6 million lost, abandoned or unwanted dogs and cats enter animal shelters.” Some animals are adopted and make it into the homes of responsible, loving pet owners, while others are euthanized. In the article, “Approximately two to three million cats and dogs—many of them healthy, young and adoptable—must be euthanized in animal shelters every year.”
Animals that are not caught are abandoned, then suffer and die on the streets or are left in backyards. These animals lack basic necessities such as food, water, companionship, exercise, shelter and veterinary care.
Animals are not at fault here. People fail to neuter their animals, then they reproduce large numbers of kittens or puppies. Instead of adopting animals, people choose to buy them from breeders or pet stores. Some people take animals in, neglecting the fact that they are life-long companions. Therefore, some animals are abandoned because of how much work they are. This problem could be solved if people simply neutered their pets to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Although there are many reasons why overpopulation is affecting the earth, there are also many solutions. If people were to educate themselves on resolutions and preventions, overpopulation would not be as disastrous as it is.
