Ehrlichs Population Bomb :: essays research papers

Ehrlichs Population Bomb     "People be realizing that we cannot forever continue to multiply andsubdue the earth without losing our standard of life and the natural beauty that mustiness be part of it. these are the years of decision- the decision of men to staythe flood of man." Ehrlich here explains the one of the most pressing problemsfacing man in the 20th century. In Population Bomb, Ehrlich explains thatpollution, shortages, and an overall deterioation of the standard of living isall due to over tribe.     In chapter one Ehrlich explains the pressing problems facing moderncivilization and how these problems are directly or indirectly linked tooverpopulation. Ehrlich explains situation using various examples of how massstarvation is inevitable if population continues to increase the way it iscurrently. In thirdly world countries their food supplies are becomingincreasingly scarce be yard of their increasing populations. In t hese thirdworld countries the rich-poor gap is increasing creating the potential for large split of the population to starve. Paraphrasing Ehrlichs ideas in chapter canbe explained as there is only so many resources and as population increasesthose resources will soon be depleted. Ehrlich uses diachronic populationresearch to lead to the conclusion that in 90 years the population could be wellover the earths carrying capacity. In third world countries where populationcontrol is rarely used population, pollution, and scarcity are becoming everincreasing problems. Roughly 40% of the population in third world countries arechildren 15 years or older. Ehrlich explains that if population growthcontinues at this rate older generations will find themselves without adequatefood and medicine. Near the end of the chapter Ehrlich explains the cause ofthe massive increase in population growth as he explains that science andmedicine have decreased the death rate exponentially piece the birth ra te hasnot decreased. In "Too Little Food" Ehrlich starts off with the assumption thatabout 50% of the people in the world are in some degree malnourished. He usesstatistics from "New Republic" and the Population Crisis Committee to put thenumber of deaths to around four million people death each year of starvationalone, not disease caused by starvation. Ehrlich explains that sometime around1958 population growth exceeded the available food supply. When this happenedthe laws of supply and demand took over and caused massive inflation in foodcosts and causes marginal farm land to be put into production. All of thesesigns caused a period of time with stern shortages in food. In 1966 alone theworld population increased by 70 million while food production remained