Overpopulation: The Human Sardine Tin

MacKenzie Collings
Mr. J. Toole
Global Perspectives
18 May 2017

Table of Contents
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Preface/Definition:.......................................................................................................... 2
Significance:.................................................................................................................. 3
Summary of Research Method:........................................................................................ 5
Background:.................................................................................................................. 6
Expert:.......................................................................................................................... 7
Religion:...................................................................................................................... 10
Logic of Evil:............................................................................................................... 11
Role of Control:........................................................................................................... 13
Case Studies:
China:............................................................................................................... 14
Dubai:............................................................................................................... 15
India:................................................................................................................ 16
Role of International Organizations:............................................................................... 18
Canadian Connection:................................................................................................... 19
Solutions:.................................................................................................................... 20
Bibliography:............................................................................................................... 21
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Preface/Definition
Overpopulation is a noun defined by the Oxford Dictionary as The condition of being
populated with excessively large numbers (oxford online dictionary). In the two seconds it
took you to read this sentence, the population grew by approximately 5 people. There is no
accurate way to track the population of the world in the moment, for there is no way to record
every death and every birth and add both to the totalled population because the data is
constantly changing, however it can be predicted based on previous information collected by
governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Overpopulation takes place when there is more population growth in the world than
there is growth in resources and land mass. It is most often a negative issue, however some
large population growth spurts in the past have benefitted the world with culture and high
economies. Recently, overpopulation has started to become an issue, unlike previous events.
This is purely because the amount of people being born is too much for the earth to handle
and it is becoming increasingly difficult to account for every person. There is hardly enough
resources to keep people living in first-world-country conditions, along with the struggle of
making the resources that are available, accessible to everyone. This problem contributes to
many others, such as pollution (resources being manufactured in non-environmentally-
friendly factories), the destruction of ecosystems for the harvesting of resources and creation
of agricultural farmland, and the necessity for international affairs between countries.
From 1999 to 2015, the population of the world has increased by 1,273,304,215
people. Compared to 1950 to 1966, that number is almost 2,000,000 people larger. The world
population as grown extraordinarily since 1950, going from 2,525,778,669 people all the way
to 7,324,782,225 people. This extreme spike in global population is result of a multitude of
factors including magnificent advancements in healthcare, the ability to afford larger families
and not suffer in poverty, and globalization in regards to families being able to emigrate to
first world countries with more access to these things.
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Significance
Overpopulation is one of - if not the - most pressing issue facing the generations to
come. This is because it will undoubtedly have an effect on every citizen; no matter the city,
country, or even continent. People in China may be encouraged to emigrate out of the country
and seek shelter in other, more area-extensive countries purely for the reason of not enough
room for the entire population of China. However in a country such as Canada, the
government may be obligated to open up the nations borders and allow a larger amount of
immigrants to permanently settle within the countrys massive land mass that is currently
highly unpopulated. Not only will overpopulation cause uncomfortable overcrowdedness, but
it also plays a massive role in climate change. With fast-growing populations comes a fast-
growing necessity for natural resources, such as agricultural food. As a result, essential
ecosystems like rainforests are being destroyed for the creation of farms. The sudden lack of
rainforest then contributes to the acceleration of climate change, which is undoubtedly the
greatest threat to humans in the Twenty-First Century.
Climate change and global warming has many different effects in the world. For
example, with the increasing average global temperature as a result of carbon emissions and
the greenhouse effect, the melting of polar ice caps takes place. This massive amount of water
is then slowly added into oceans causing sea levels to rise drastically, posing a threat to
coastal cities. Not only is the melted ice added to the oceans much of the heat from the
trapped gases inside the atmosphere is absorbed into the water causing it to expand - thanks to
the particle theory. In the article published in National Geographic magazine states:
Most predictions say the warming of the planet will continue and is likely to accelerate.
Oceans will likely continue to rise as well, but predicting the degree to which they will
rise is an inexact science. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we can
expect the oceans to rise between 11 and 38 inches (28 to 98 centimeters) by 2100,
enough to swamp many of the cities along the U.S. East Coast. More dire estimates,
including a complete meltdown of the Greenland ice sheet, place sea level rise to 23
feet (7 meters), enough to submerge London (National Geographic).
Speculations say that many cities - not just London- will be submerged under water, such as
New Orleans, New York, and a multitude of cities in Greenland.
To go along with the creation of more farms for agricultural food production, United
Nations-Water states that the world is made up of seventy-five-percent water. Of that
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percentage, only three-percent is fresh usable water, and the rest is seawater and undrinkable.
However, two-point-five percent is frozen fresh water and is inaccessible and cannot be used.
This leaves all life on earth with point-five-percent of the total freshwater to use. A major
seventy-percent of the total freshwater accessible by humans is used directly for agriculture
(United Nations-Water) This proves itself to be a serious issue for water is essential to every
form of life, finite, and has virtually no replacement or substitute.
Overpopulation could more than likely be the cause of the next mass extinction, for it
is the root of so many other devastating problems the world is facing. There is simply not
enough space, resources, or scientific capacity to ensure that all quality of life on earth is
humane. Humans would have no choice but to live in cramped urban cities alike those we see
now in China, go through extreme difficulties to access small rations of water for cooking and
consumption alike the ways we see in Kenya, and access to healthcare would become very
troubling because of the spike in disease that comes along with population explosions and life
expectancy would drop significantly.
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Summary of Research Method

Overpopulation is an issue that is not specific to one country, religion, race, it is an
issue regarding the entirety of earth itself. Therefore, finding materials to conduct research on
the topic is not overly difficult and promises more than one point of view. The perspectives of
a writer in The U.S.A. will undoubtedly differ from those of a writer in Kenya. The U.S.A.
most definitely has enough food for the entire American population plus so much extra that
almost half can be afforded to be thrown away into landfills. The Food and Agriculture
Department of the United Nations stated that In the USA, 30-40% of the food supply is
wasted, equaling more than 20 pounds of food per person per month proving that The U.S.A.
is one of the most wasteful countries on the globe. This can be compared to a writer in Kenya
who would address the fact that the rising population in the third world country will not be
able to be supported and would send the country further into a depression filled with death,
poverty, and malnourishment.
Author Julie Machado writes We do not need to save the world from overpopulation.
Being more eco-friendly has nothing to do with limiting family size. The Church teaches
consistently that each life is a gift and doing everything to accept and promote that life is what
will truly enrich the world (Machado) in an article regarding overpopulation and the catholic
church. Not only are there a multitude of different outlooks on the topic, but there are many
different mediums in which the information is presented. Hundreds of books have been
published, thousands of websites exist on the internet, and there are even movies that have
been created and produced showing the effects and pressure of overpopulation. The voice of
The Dalai Lama is played over a short video of massive Chinese crowds as he explains that
[controlling the population] must be a non-violent way. He later on suggests that the best
solution relating to Buddhism is to grow the number of monks and nuns, therefore decreasing
the birth rate. For this research paper, the main ways that research was conducted over the
internet and through contacts.
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Background
As to when overpopulation began, there is no date that can be considered accurate.
There is almost no way to judge where or when overpopulation started because the criteria on
which one can predict has not been set. It can be argued that it began in sixteenth-century
Europe during the time of colonialism, and it can be argued that it overpopulation still is not
an issue. Since the Bubonic plague that took place in the 1400s, population has been rising
however not causing any evident issues. Only in the last hundred years has the population
expanded exponentially, as well as studying that goes along with it. Scientists and theorists
never took the global issue seriously, as population growth was seen as a natural occurrence.
Economists and politicians believed and supported that early overpopulation was positive
because more consumers means a bigger market. There was a bigger supply and demand, and
ultimately this created a higher economy; more people working, more money being spent.
Within recent years and the reaching of seven billion, the general population started to
become more aware of the obvious problem. There was a day of seven-billion on October
Thirty-First, 2011 created to spread awareness. For the population to grow from two to three-
billion (one-billion total), it took thirty-three years (1927-1960). For the population to move
another one-billion in the modern day, it only took a mere twelve years (1999-2011). This is
an example of the recent massive population growth. From 2010-2014, the world saw a
population increase of approximately 327,600,639 people.The huge increase in population
made people from around the world notice the diminishing of resources. The effects could
even be felt in first world, North American countries through the extreme raise on gasoline
prices. In 1999, the average gasoline price in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was $0.57. The
following year, the average shot up to $0.71 and has continued to rise since year 2000. From
2014, there has been a 240,541,355 population increase. That is astonishing considering the
growth has reached much more than half of the 2010-2014 growth, in less than half of the
time. Studies showed that approximately 25,000 died purely from malnourishment and
starvation every day, and millions lost or could not gain access to clean water for cooking and
consumption. Humans are still feeling the effects of overpopulation today in their everyday
lives, especially in developing, third world countries where access to necessary resources
have become increasingly extremely difficult to come by.
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Expert
Experts in the field of overpopulation are not easy to come by, however there are
many knowledgeable teachers and public figures who are open to giving their insight.
Teacher at Bear Creek Secondary School, Barrie, Ontario Sydney Lucas has been
teaching Earth and Ecology science for seventeen years. He was also a park ranger in
Algonquin Park, Ontario when he was young where he studied ecosystems and forestry first
hand, after attending University of Toronto and receiving his bachelor in zoology. When
asked for his insight on the subject of overpopulation, his opinions were swayed with an
ecologists bias:
Overpopulation is certainly a major factor affecting the wellbeing of people, other life
and the planet. Its something weve been trying to bring under control for some time
with some success. But population has doubled to over seven-billion in my lifetime and
though the exponential growth curve is dropping less experts are predicting it will still
rise to nine or even ten-billion people. Referring to the ecological footprint from Grade-
nine-Geography, and you see that the current population has already exceeded the
earths capacity of renewable resources by perhaps twenty-percent. Were cutting into
the resources needed by future generations which is totally unfair. Still theres not
enough [basic resources] reaching many in different parts of the world so sadly
starvation is still a major problem. So we strive to create more farmland to feed
ourselves and end up destroying very valuable ecosystems like the rainforests which
accelerates climate change that is described as the greatest threat to human health in this
century. So the question is what is a sustainable human population that will maintain a
healthy Earth for all life? (S. Lucas)
Although Lucas is a credible and knowledgeable source, the expert David Suzuki was
also contacted and asked for his insight on the subject of overpopulation. Suzuki is a Canadian
environmental activist who completed a Ph.D in zoology at the University of Chicago. He has
accepted many awards recognitions, including being voted as one of the top ten Greatest
Canadians (The Greatest Canadian, CBC Series). He is also an appointee to the Order of
Canada as a Companion status. He did not send a response to any questions or succeed to give
any insight, however Suzuki has spoken out and produced writings about overpopulation
multiple times throughout his lifetime. The David Suzuki Foundation has a website where
stock loads of information can be accessed and studied by absolutely anyone. Suzuki
frequently writes blogs regarding environmental and other serious issues that are published to
the website.
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The article Is Seven-Billion People too Many? (Suzuki) from the David Suzuki
foundation poses the question asking if and how a huge population is seriously a threat to
todays and generations to come.
He concludes with the statement:
Wealthy conservatives who overwhelmingly identify population growth as the biggest
problem are often the same people who oppose measures that may slow the rate of
growth. This has been especially true in the U.S., where corporate honchos and the
politicians who support them fight against environmental protection and against sex
education and better access to birth control, not to mention redistribution of wealth
(Suzuki).
Suzuki does not traditionally speculate on political topics, but there is an obvious
undertone that can be detected by the reader in the quoted statement, and the reader can
acknowledge Suzukis political views. If one were to analyze Suzukis statements such as
where corporate honchos and the politicians who support them fight against environmental
protection, one would question how politics is even related to the topic of overpopulation
and climate change. Climate change is a result of the massive populations dependance on the
consumption of fossil fuels. One of the biggest contributors to climate change is the big
corporations and factories. Companies are mass producing products due to the constant
demand, and this is releasing heavy amounts of carbon-dioxide into the earths atmosphere.
This can be more or less easily controlled by governmental figures by the implementation of a
carbon tax. The concept of a carbon tax is allowing factories to emit a pre set amount of
carbon dioxide. If the factory were to go over the limit, then a hefty taxation would take
place. The factory would be forced to pay money to the government as a punishment for not
being environmentally conscious. This concept is quite centrist and in the middle of the
political spectrum appealing to both sides. However, politicians may take different, more
capitalist or socialist approaches. Rachel Notley of the New Democratic Party of Canada has
imposed a carbon tax on the oil manufacturing province of Alberta, Canada. Her policies have
been a drastic change from the previous, far right conservative government. Citizens of
Alberta are feeling the effects of a stunted oil business like higher costs of running a
household, lowered employment rates, and high gasoline prices. An article published in the
Edmonton Sun (a local to Alberta newspaper) reads The Notley government continued to
press the case for its new carbon tax Monday, urging Albertans to look past the higher pump
prices and focus on a number of forthcoming benefits. This quote is showing the effects of a
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carbon tax used in one of the biggest oil producers in the world. It is also an example of how
an almost perfect world in an environmental sense is not necessarily pleasurable. The mass of
the population would have to give up the luxuries that are lived with today.
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Religion
Religion - although it may be small - plays a part in overpopulation. Some of the most
prominent religions in the world: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and
Judaism, are all anti-abortion. Together, the followers of these religions make up five-billion
people, or seventy-four-percent of the entire population. All of those followers, or even half,
believe in the anti-abortion aspect of their religion, and that accounts for a lot of children that
otherwise would have been aborted if a religion was not restricting the mother. Since the
theory of evolution was presented, there has been a growth in non-believing atheists who do
not conform to any religions no matter their ideologies. Atheism vouches for the theory ruling
that humans were not in fact created but they evolved, there was no one god or supernatural
presence that created the world, and the aspect pertaining most to overpopulation, no rules
that have been predetermined by a sacred text of some sort. An article in the Huffington Post
states Atheism to Defeat Religion by 2038. A study written about in the article states:
The most obvious approach to estimating when the world will switch over to being
majority atheist is based on economic growth. This is logical because economic
development is the key factor responsible for secularization. In deriving this estimate, I
used the nine most godless countries as my touchstone (excluding Estonia as a formerly
communist country).

The countries were Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan,
Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. These nine countries averaged out at the
atheist transition in 2004 (5) with exactly half of the populations disbelieving in God.
Their gross domestic product (GDP) averaged $29,822 compared to $10,855 for the
average country in the world. How long will it take before the world economy has
expanded sufficiently that the GDP of the average country has caught up to the average
for the godless countries in 2004?

Using the average global growth rate of GDP for the past 30 years of 3.33 percent
(based on International Monetary Fund data from their website), the atheist transition
would occur in 2035 (Huffington Post).
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This study suggests that Atheism is on the rise and religion is declining. This rate would result
in no religious laws against abortion, no laws banning sex before marriage, and ultimately an
increase in children being born.

Logic of Evil
Every serious issue that may arise in the world will have logic behind it; if there was
no logic behind an issue then it could be argued that it is not a real serious issue.
Overpopulation is humans reproducing, so much so that there is simply not enough room or
resources to accommodate for every new generation.
Humans do not reproduce solely for the purpose of overcrowding an area, or the earth.
Humans have children because it is a social-norm and is expected when a couple is married.
Having children is considered one of the greatest milestones in ones life.
Culture has a lot to do with the number of children in a family and the consumption of
resources. For example, a Canadian married couple has an average of one child (Statistics
Canada 2011 Census) and consumes almost 10,000 kWh of electricity per year (Ontario
Ministry of Energy 2013). That can be compared to the average number of children per
family in Iraq of four and a half (CIA World Factbook 2016 est.) and the 1342 kWh amount
of electricity consumed per capita (World Bank 2011). This shows that North American
families tend to produce less children, yet based on way of living North American families
consume more resources whereas middle-eastern families tend to produce more children but
use significantly less resources.
Families having children may be the direct and most logical cause of a large
population, but there are a multitude of other causes that affect the population.
The technological advances in the medical field have significantly impacted the global
life expectancy rate in the upwards direction.
During the early twentieth century, the Polio disease was one of the most feared in the
world. It is an infectious disease that attacks the persons brain and spinal cord, leaving the
person with permanent paralysis in some or all limbs and disfigured, warped body parts
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
began with the backing of Every Last Child, the organization responsible for many global
vaccinations combatting polio. Since then, more than two and a half billion children have
been immunized and protected from the deadly disease (Global Polio Eradication Initiative).
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The development of the vaccine used to combat polio was backed and funded by many non-
governmental organizations and countries worldwide. It can be looked at as an example of
major technological and medical advantages that influenced the population of affected areas
positively.
A logical reason behind overpopulation in a non-physical sense is the benefits that
come along with a large population. For developing countries, a greater amount of people in
the work force results in a growing economy, which is undoubtedly desirable by all nations.
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Role of Control
Whether or not there is a controller of overpopulation is a question that is almost
unable to be speculated, for the question - and issue - is so broad. However, there are
companies, organizations, and people that benefit from the demands of overpopulation. The
fact that a growing population results in a growing need for goods and resources can be
manipulated in a way so that there are companies, organizations, and people that are
controlling it.
Honda Motor Company is a Japanese automotive company that manufactures and
retails vehicles all over the world. The company has recognized the growing demand for
automobiles by the growing populations that are not just exclusive to where the company is
based, but also largely in North America. In 1997 (when the global population had reached
five-point-eight-billion) total US sales of Honda automobiles was at 940,386. In 2016, with a
global population of around seven-billion, sales had almost doubled: 1,637,942 (Honda
Digital Factbook). These numbers show Honda Motor Companys acknowledgement of a
growing global population, so more automobiles were manufactured and offered to whomever
may be buying.
This is directly making money for the company as they take advantage of a growing
population and desire for ease utility.
Honda Motor Company is not the only company manipulating the growing global
population for their own benefit, however. Many other less globalized companies take
advantage of a growing population every day. Companies such as Adidas, Levis, Hollister,
and Nike are all examples of clothing manufacturing companies. They all create, brand, and
sell clothing to a population (specifically western-cultured) and strive off of a growing
population. The greater amount of people who need clothing, the more money each one of
these companies is allowed to make.
This is almost exclusive to first-world countries, and not developing nations. A
country such as Kenya would not have the ease of access to the same companies that a
country such as England would. Kenya is a poverty stricken nation whose citizens would be
more worried about access to fresh water than keeping their bodies covered.
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Case Studies
China
The population of China is one-point-three-billion people, making it the most
populated country on earth. The population density is one-hundred-forty-six per square
kilometer. This massive number can be dangerous to the not only Chinas economy, but also
the wellbeing of Chinese citizens. Natural resources can be easily depleted, over crowdedness
will force citizens to live in close quarter communes, and the highly concentrated pollution
will eventually take a toll on not only the environment, but the health of Chinese men,
women, and children. If the Chinese government does not formulate a plan to take control of
an out of control population, then China will continue to move down a dark path.
China announced the end of a one child policy in 2015 that lasted 36 years. The
policy was an attempt at controlling the population that had become out of hand after Mao
Zedong established the Peoples Republic and used propaganda to encourage Chinese citizens
to multiply and create manpower for the state (See how the One Child Policy Changed China,
National Geographic). The policy was introduced because the government of China had seen
the effects of a massive population - for example the lack of food - and after the Chinese
Famine, the government set rules in place in hope to avoid another period resembling poverty.
The one child policy stunted the number of births in China and was strict upon anyone
who did not conform to the rule. Punishments such as fines, sterilizations, and abortions
threatened any mother or family who had more than one child.
In 1980 China implemented the birth quota system in order to supervise the birth rate
and population changes. Through this system, the government created population targets for
each region of China. Later on in the 1980s, other goals were set by the government for the
officials who monitored each region like sterilization, vasectomy, and abortion targets.
(Phillips, China Ends One-Child Policy)
Having to find the right metaphorical balance between morals, human rights, and a
prosperous country has proven itself a challenge and is made evident so throughout the
history of China. The policy was ended by the Chinese Communist Party in 2015, where they
declared each family was to be allowed to parent two children, instead of one.
China continues to use the two child policy that is in place now, still making effort to
control its huge population from growing too large to account for everyone. Possibilities of
this could include not enough food to supply for everyone, homelessness and crime rates
increase significantly, and heavier environmental harm than there currently is due to a
massive population of people utilising non-renewable fossil fuels.
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Dubai
The city-state of Dubai is one of seven autocratic states that make up the United Arab
Emirates. It has the highest population out of all of the other states with just over two-million
people. The city-state is located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, where lie the famous man-
made palm tree shaped islands. The Palm Islands were created to house the increasing number
of inhabitants that could no longer live onshore because there was absolutely no more
residential zones (Dubai City Website).
Dubais massive population is an important contributing factor to the outstanding
amounts of pollution that surrounds the city. A recent 2016 study pertaining to air quality all
over the world deemed Dubai and the United Arab Emirates air quality to be the worst in the
world, surpassing the previous leaders of China and India. The study was an annual test done
by World Bank called The Little Green Data Book. The book revealed that the air contained
eighty micrograms of pollutants per cubic metre, ahead of China by seven micrograms. It was
also made public that the carbon dioxide emissions was a total of twenty metric tons, and the
country used a total of 9,389 kWh. To put that into relative terms, the total carbon dioxide
emissions per capita was fourteen-and-a-half metric tons, which is significantly less.
Smog is a type of air pollution commonly found in large cities around the world. It is
mainly generated from exhaust fumes of automobiles, industrial factory fumes, open burning,
and can be harmful to humans and other lifeforms based on the potency and/or the amount of
smog. It can cause serious respiratory problems, worsen effects of asthma, and can affect
ones breathing. Smog and other air pollution can be rated by the Air Quality Index, which is
a scale going from zero to three-hundred. If it is a particularly smoggy day, then the rating
will be high. If the rating is above one-hundred-fifty, then it is considered unhealthy to inhale.
The geography of Dubai will make the sustainability of a large population in the state
a very hard to come by aspect. Dubai is situated along the coastline, yet the state is considered
a desert due to extremely hot, lack of vegetation, and the harsh dryness. There is very little
accessible fresh water that is close to Dubai. Thus making the possibility to feed, nourish, and
care for the growing population very poor. Fresh water would need to be brought into Dubai
via pipeline, or other effective means of transportation, from a neighbouring state -possibly
Saudi Arabia - that would be willing to export valuable resources. Then, a deal would have to
be made in order to pay back the chosen country, which would be hard to broker, for Dubai is
not rich in any natural resources like some other countries are.
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India
The subcontinent of India is located in central Asia is located on the northern coast of
the Indian sea and is bordered by Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and Nepal. India has a
population of over one-billion people, and a land mass of three-point-two-million kilometres
squared. India has the second largest population in the world next to China, making it the
largest democracy. India is a prime example of how overpopulation can affect a country.
India may be a global top producer in wheat, rice, fruits, and spices (Factbook), but
that does not mean there there is enough food to feed every single Indian mouth that may be
even more than just hungry; starved, malnourished, or famined. There is poverty in India
based on the fact that it is an extremely populous and large country. As the population
continues to grow, the question of whether setting some form of population control law is
summoned.
In 1999, fifty-three-percent of children under five years old were considered
malnourished. Not only does this affect the agriculture of Indian agriculture, but also relates
to the homeless cycle that poverty stricken families are caught in. Children, women, men are
unable to supply themselves with basic human needs like a meal, in result not being able to
truly work for a reliable amount of money, and the cycle repeats itself.
Of course the element that is making India such an overpopulated country is that the
birth/fertility rate is out performing the death rate. It can be broken down to the simplified
equation of 3 - 1 = 2 . From here, it can be broken down into 3 specifics: early marriage and
old traditions, poverty and uneducation, and cultural norms.
Early Marriage: As soon as women reach the age of fertility, they are married to a man
after a wedding was pre-arranged. It is expected that once a woman reaches the age of
fertility, she must take advantage of her gift and have a child. The first child is born while the
mother is very young, which leaves the woman the rest of her life to continue the utilization
of her gift.
Poverty and Uneducation: It is common for a family to live in poverty and not be able
to afford some sort of shelter or food. A surefire solution to a low income, is to increase it. To
do this, families continued to have children so that the kids could go work and begin to bring
in money, and ultimately losing out on education. The lack of education in India leads to very
little prosperous families, and the poverty loop continues (Maps Of India).
Cultural Norms: Traditionally, men are the workers in the family and will promise the
family the most profit, rather than a female who could not work as well as a man could.
Whether this is morally acceptable or not, it undeniably happens in India. If a family produces
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a woman, they will continue to procreate until they finally end up with male who can do the
heavy lifting and bring in more money. This results in an unnecessary spike in the population
of India (CIA World Factbook).
Overpopulation in India results in the failure of supply of education, the exploitation
of natural resources out of desperation, and decrease in the supply of food and nutrients, for
the population is simply growing too fast.
This stresses India to imply measures in effort to slow the increase of the population.
A way this can happen is enforcing the laws regarding child brides, creation of jobs so that
families will no longer need to have a large number of children, and promoting social
equality. If women were regarded as prime workers alongside men, then it would eradicate
the necessity to spike the population (Maps Of India).
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Role of International Organization

International organizations are always doing their part to aid those who have felt or
are feeling the effects of overpopulation. This could be children living homeless, exposure to
disease, or extreme famine.
On February 22nd, 2017, the United Nations announced that it is now accepting
funding to move into Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen in order to combat acute
malnutrition amongst children. UN Secretary-General Mr. Guterres said, "The lives of
millions of people depend on our collective ability to act. We have heard the alerts. Now there
is no time to lose."
This is a prime example of a strong international organization, for they hold so much
power in the international community. The United Nations was founded in 1945 and is made
up of one-hundred-ninety-three member states today. They take action against issues facing
humanity in the twenty-first century, such as climate change, human rights, peace and
security, and food production (United Nations overview).
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Canadian Connection
Canada has a land mass of almost ten-million kilometres squared. In relation to the
population of Canada - thirty-five-million (Statistics Canada, 2016), the population density is
three and a half people per kilometer squared. Compared to other countries like China,
Bangladesh, and the Netherlands, that is quite low. Canadas large land mass and low
population makes for great refuge for immigrants that may leave their country for a number of
negative results from overpopulation.
The northern regions of Canada are inhabited by Aboriginal peoples who have stayed
in said regions possibly for centuries. This may cause conflict for the aboriginal people may
feel like their culture and history is being threatened and unconstitutionally taken away from
them, guaranteed to them by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, section 25. (a)
and (b).
25. The guarantee in this Charter of certain rights and freedoms shall not be
construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any aboriginal, treaty or other rights or
freedoms that pertain to the aboriginal peoples of Canada including

(a) any rights or freedoms that have been recognized by the Royal Proclamation
of October 7, 1763; and

(b) any rights or freedoms that now exist by way of land claims agreements or
may be so acquired.

(Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms)

 Collings 20

Solutions
Overpopulation is a wide spectrum issue, with a wide spectrum of solutions pertaining
to slowing it down or possible even stop it.
There are essentially 3 ways one can look at any problem presented to them. There is a
passive approach, an assertive approach, and an aggressive approach. An example of a
passive way of resolving something would be sharing ones opinion, giving suggestions, or
leading by example. An example of an aggressive way of resolving something would be
forcing someone to think the same way as another, giving only one option, or doing
something unrealistic. Somewhere between aggressive and passive, lies assertive. An assertive
resolution might be something like making a temporary decision that could possibly not seem
like the best in the moment, but is sure to work out in the end.
To look for solutions to overpopulation, it is easiest to look at is passively, assertively,
and aggressively and assess each solution to determine which would be the best choice.
Passively resolving the overpopulation issue is funding organizations promoting
planned parenthood, incorporating learning about safe sex in school curriculums, and
advertise the advantages of having fewer children. The benefits to this approach are respecting
all human rights, and it is not a drastic change from current governmental procedures.
Downfalls to this approach could be the fact that no citizen is required to follow these
suggestions and could quite easily have no effect at all.
Assertively resolving the overpopulation issues is enacting something similar to
Chinas one child policy. Governments could require males to have vasectomies done after
a certain age, or nationalize the healthcare sector and create high prices for medical help. This
could be considered infringing on some human rights, but it is not directly lowering the
population, just slowly and indirectly. Benefits to this approach would be the guarantee of a
stunted population, but only after some years. It could take a long amount of time until one
could see the effects of overpopulation reversing.
Aggressively resolving the overpopulation issues is - or is something related to - mass
genocide. This can be seen as unrealistic and wrong because it breaks so many human rights,
and gives one party the ability to choose who is worthy of life and who is not. Effects of
overpopulation would immediately begin to reverse and the world could start over again and
avoid what went wrong the first time. This approach can be seen in many religious texts, such
 Collings 21

as the bible. God warns Noah of an impending flood and instructs him to build an ark to save
himself, animals of the earth, and his immediate family from the watery grave everything else
was about to face (Genesis chapters 6-9). The downfalls to this approach is that it is
unrealistic. The amount of people that would need to be sacrificed would be in the billions.
The method needed could be too dangerous to those who were chosen to live, and disposal of
the sacrifices would be near impossible.
 Collings 22

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