...Overpopulation and Longevity Historically, the topic of population and its contents have been feared and unknown to many. With the increasing human population on Earth accompanied by an array of factors such as disease, lack of resources, and increasing life spans, it becomes dramatically harder to look into the future and predict that the world is not being overpopulated by humans. However, despite the myriad of overwhelming issues regarding the concern of overpopulation, I posit through several key examples that we are not in danger of overpopulation and further, that we as a species are actually benefited by increased longevity. It has been determined numerous times throughout the last several hundred years that overpopulation of the human race is looming and is an unavoidable fate of the human race which will ultimately lead to its self-destruction. One such theory, perhaps the most famous, belongs to Thomas Malthus whom lived during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution laid the foundation for manufacturing on a massive scale which was accompanied by advancements in technology that also brought about an era of farming that was vastly more efficient. In 1798, Thomas Malthus predicted in An Essay on the Principle of Population, (which was revised to accommodate for criticisms,) that the human race could not account for its growth in terms of resources and sustenance as he believed the population increased exponentially compared to food supply (Malthus). Even...
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...was a survey conducted among all the regional and sub-regional policy officers and outposted staff of the Economic and Social Department of FAO. The survey was based on a questionnaire which was distributed to them and was structured around "major trends affecting food, agriculture and rural development" as identified in the process of preparing the FAO Strategic Framework, namely: * changes in the role and functions of the state and implication for food, agriculture and rural development * trade liberalization, globalization and increased reliance on regional blocks * persistence of poverty, mounting inequality, food insecurity and continuing risks of emergencies * population growth, urbanization and related changes in demand on agriculture; increasing pressure on natural resources and the environment * research and technology development and inequality of access. A consolidated synthesis of the responses to the questionnaire was then reviewed and commented upon by FAO Headquarters units and a few outside experts. The outcome of the process is summarized in this chapter. Its contents are meant to reflect as closely as possible the views expressed by FAO outposted staff. The comments that have been made by FAO units and outside experts have...
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...ton1.1 Major Themes of Environmental Science The study of environmental problems and their solutions has never been more important. Modern society in 2009 is hooked on oil. Production has declined, while demand has grown, and the population of the world has been increasing by more than 70 million each year. The emerging energy crisis is producing an economic crisis, as the prices of everything produced from oil (fertilizer, food, and fuel) rise beyond what some people can afford to pay. Energy and economic problems come at a time of unprecedented environmental concerns, from the local to global level. At the beginning of the modern era—in A.D. 1—the number of people in the world was probably about 100 million, one-third of the present population of the United States. In 1960 the world contained 3 billion people. Our population has more than doubled in the last 40 years, to 6.8 billion people today. In the United States, population increase is often apparent when we travel. Urban traffic snarls, long lines to enter national parks, and difficulty getting tickets to popular attractions are all symptoms of a growing population. If recent human population growth rates continue, our numbers could reach 9.4 billion by 2050. The problem is that the Earth has not grown any larger, and the abundance of its resources has not increased—in many cases, quite the opposite. How, then, can Earth sustain all these people? And what is the maximum number of people that could live on Earth, not just for...
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...services, capital, and even labor, and of opportunities for new investments and markets. The process of global economic integration was perpetrated at the behest of World War II, when the leaders of Britain and the US helped establishing the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in 1944 to promote a liberal, capitalist world to counter the shadows of Socialism and Marxism. The loans are granted by IMF and WB on the condition that the borrowing country will reduce the state's role in the economy, lower barriers to imports, remove restrictions on foreign investment, eliminate subsidies for local industries, reduce spending for social welfare, cut wages, devalue the currency, and emphasize production for export rather than for local consumption. Such conditions imposed laid the basic foundation to open economies to steer the mechanism of economic integration giving birth to the World Trade Organization. By mid 1950s Pakistan had become a favorite candidate for receiving the benefits pledged by President Truman, having joined the network of international defense treaties with the United States. It marked the beginning of an enduring trend in Pakistan to follow every one of the strategies of development devised successively in Washington and promoted globally. Pakistan's own Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq called this trend the pursuit of "development fashions" and listed it among his "seven sins of economic planners." Before development theory and practice ...
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...CASE STUDY CHINA “UNBALANCED” In this case study, we will attempt to answer what measures China took in preparation for acceptance into the WTO and how it adjusted to its eventual admittance in December of 2001. We will also review some of the problems associated with China’s economic growth strategy. We will begin our analysis of these questions by examining China’s economy at the time of Deng Xiaoping’s accession to power in 1978 and the economic growth strategy he and his successor implemented which ultimately led China to ascension into the WTO. We will then review various conditions imposed upon China by the WTO and how China reacted to those changes and to what extent these lead to China’s current status and interaction with its principal economical partners .. We will conclude our analysis by outlining some of the problems associated with China’s growth strategy and the missing components that would be needed in order to become a free economy and to achieve sustainable growth in the future. During the time of Mao Zedong’s term in power, China was a communist state that had a closed economy, a population of just fewer than one billion and state-owned companies that were financially unsuccessful and a drain on the economy. The choice of economic systems is based on the belief that the system will bring the highest goods to the majority of the people, most of the time. Mao Zedong adopted a Chinese nationalist and anti-imperialist outlook with which he ruled China...
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...trajectories of each province, and even more summarily to the policy issues, constraints, and opportunities that confront the different provinces. The implicit attitude—that it is the federation as a whole rather than the federating units that matter—is so firmly embedded in the official mindset that, even after 65 years of Pakistan’s existence, the authorities do not produce official statistics of province-level gross domestic product (GDP), investment, savings, exports, imports, labor productivity, and other key economic indicators. 2. The Importance of a Province-Level Approach Why is a province-level approach important? The issue is not merely of academic interest. It is necessary to strengthen studies at the province level, because policies to address questions of employment, poverty, and perceived deprivation, and to improve the delivery of key services are more effective if the perspective is as close to the ground as possible. The validity of this approach is recognized by the burgeoning number of regional or state studies in India and in other parts of the world—such as China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, and Nigeria among developing countries, and of course the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, and several others in the developed world—where individual provinces or states can exercise a significant degree of autonomy over many economic decisions. Stimulating the convergence of economic growth between the different provinces of...
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...IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES ON THE GROWTH OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY Submitted by: Kriti Bhardwaj Date: 1st December, 2010 1 ABSTRACT The most contentious global debate today is the obligations of the developed and the developing countries to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Though climate change is a danger for all countries-developed and developing alike, the quantum of responsibility for mitigating climate change is a debatable issue. There is a perceived divide between the obligations of the two worlds in which our planet is divided. The source of virtually all past emissions i.e. the developed world has a greater responsibility to take steps to reduce their carbon emissions substantially and help in stabilizing the environment which they disturbed to a large extent. This is the reason why they are subjected to binding targets of reducing their emissions by a set amount in all international agreements. However, the developing world is gearing towards development at a very fast pace and all development and industrialization pre-supposes the need of higher emissions. Due to this, the emission levels of this part of the world are bound to increase even more rapidly. Mitigating climate change in developing countries poses a fundamental challenge. For developing nations as a whole...
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...economic circles in the sixties, attracted a great deal of scholarly attention to India. This paper seeks to analyze that lack of aggregate demand and inequality in income distribution as the possible reasons for the same also mentioning the other possible reasons and their respective criticisms. Contents Abstract 1 Introduction 2 Trends in Industrial Stagnation 3 Income Distribution and Demand Factor 5 Alternative views; Critiques and Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction Post the independence period, the industrial sector in India saw a quadrupled growth in production and a marked diversification in structure and range of products produced. However, during the period 1950-75, the output saw varied growth levels, with 7.7% output growth in 1951-65 to 3.6% growth during 1965-75 (Nayyar, 1978). India had all the pre-requisite conditions of high growth in industrial sector; a large domestic market and resource base, a well-developed and large cadre of scientific and technical manpower, a substantial entrepreneurial class, a relatively stable political system with experienced bureaucracy, and a considerable involvement of the international aid community in the country. Additionally, the high savings rate (around 9% in early 1950’s to 22% in early 1980’s) and a large inflow of foreign exchange through remittances from Indian migrants abroad (Varshney,...
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...Poverty, World Hunger, Population Growth, and the Misappropriation of Wealth in Third World Countries I. Introduction At a broad level, globalization is an increase in the impact on human activities of forces that span national boundaries. These activities can be economic, social, cultural, political, technological, or even biological, as in the case of disease. Additionally, all of these realms are connected through capitalism. Globalization, as defined by McMichael is “integration on the basis of a project pursuing "market rule on a global scale.” Under McMichael’s definition of capitalism, the availability of food is becoming a major issue. And that is driven by a number of factors. Both the ability to grow enough food especially under a changing climate, as well as increases in population and greater demand for food from an increasing discerning population that wants more meat in their diet. This is driving up demand for food and that is basically pushing up prices which not only affects the ability to buy the diversity of food that we want to eat, but it particularly affects people in the developing world for whom food is a major cost in their finances. The evolution of food production plays a big role in its current role in the capitalist economy. Farmers no longer produce food for others to eat, but rather, corporations produce food as something for people to buy. Food is a commodity. And they will only produce what people will buy. More of the best land is being...
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...Introduction Since the dawning of a new era in 1994 South Africa has faced many challenges. Naturally change brings a long a new frontier and as one would expect many rough terrains. South Africa has thus far been a colossal beast charging through the constant strife of these rough terrains despite the constant lashing of its riders ever since it received its independence, however many fear the last straw is about to be placed on this beasts back. Current affairs threaten the future economic viability of South Africa and although recent assertions have been made to ensure the economic growth, the governments have done little or nothing to achieve these goals. Whether because of sheer incompetence, narrow vision focused on the past or the lack of proper management is arguable however there is little to be achieved by discussing the shortcomings of the government. This essay focuses on a more challenging viewpoint where the current socio-economic challenges of South Africa will be discussed and the policies that could be implemented to resolve these issues. The propositions in this paper are proposals that would be suggested for implementation as policies to resolve socio-economic issues if I were president. The Unemployment Issue Unemployment has been a large issue that South Africa has had to deal with in the past years. It is generally accepted that South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Although it is difficult to prove the validity of this...
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...1. Introduction Bangladesh faces the challenge of achieving accelerated economic growth and alleviating the massive poverty that afflicts nearly two-fifths of its 135 million population. Strategies for meeting this challenge have included a shift away from state-bureaucratic controls and industrial autarky towards economic liberalization and integration with the global economy. These policy reforms were initiated in the mid-1980s against the backdrop of serious macroeconomic imbalances, caused in part by the declining level of foreign aid and in part by a preceding episode of severe deterioration in the country’s terms of trade. The policy reforms in the 1980s included the withdrawal of food and agricultural subsidies, privatization of state-owned enterprises, financial liberalization, and withdrawal of quantitative import restrictions. The beginning of the 1990s saw the launching of a more comprehensive reform program, which coincided with a transition to parliamentary democracy from a semi-autocratic rule. These later reforms were particularly aimed at moving towards an open economy – such as making the currency convertible on the current account, reducing import duties generally to much lower levels, and removing virtually all controls on the movements of foreign private capital. Besides, fiscal reforms were undertaken including the introduction of the value-added tax. During the 1990s, notable progress was made in economic performance. Along with maintaining economic...
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...The proceedings of which are published in a special issue of the Lahore Journal of Economics. The CREB Working Paper Series has been started to bring to a wider audience, the research being done at the Centre. It is hoped that these Papers will promote discussion on the subject and contribute to a better understanding of economic and business processes and development issues in Pakistan. Any comments and feedback on these Papers will be appreciated. i Abstract Analysis of economic development in Pakistan has traditionally followed a "top-down" approach. This approach—that it is the federation as a whole rather than the federating units that matter— is so ingrained that even after 60 years of Pakistan's existence the authorities do not produce official statistics of provincial GDPs, investment, and savings. The importance of examining the differential growth of provinces can hardly be exaggerated—a main reason for the breakup of Pakistan in 1971 was the issue of income disparity between West and East Pakistan. A dearth of existing literature on regional issues on the one hand, coupled with stark differences across...
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...Population and Environment Theodore Panayotou CID Working Paper No. 54 July 2000 Environment and Development Paper No.2 Copyright 2000 Theodore Panayotou and the President and Fellows of Harvard College Working Papers Center for International Development at Harvard University Population and Environment Theodore Panayotou Abstract The past fifty years have witnessed two simultaneous and accelerating trends: an explosive growth in population and a steep increase in resource depletion and environmental degradation. These trends have fueled the debate on the link between population and environment that began 150 years earlier, when Malthus voiced his concern about the ability of the earth and its finite resources to feed an exponentially growing population. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on population and environment and to identify the main strands of thought and the assumptions that lie behind them. The author begins with a review of the historical perspective. He then reviews and assesses the evidence on the relationship between population and environment, focusing on selected natural and environmental resources: land use, water use, local pollution, deforestation and climate change. The author also reviews selected recent macro and micro perspectives. The new macro perspective introduces the environment-income relationship and examines the role of population growth and density in mediating this relationship. The new micro perspective introduces...
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...Population and Environment Theodore Panayotou CID Working Paper No. 54 July 2000 Environment and Development Paper No.2 Copyright 2000 Theodore Panayotou and the President and Fellows of Harvard College Working Papers Center for International Development at Harvard University Population and Environment Theodore Panayotou Abstract The past fifty years have witnessed two simultaneous and accelerating trends: an explosive growth in population and a steep increase in resource depletion and environmental degradation. These trends have fueled the debate on the link between population and environment that began 150 years earlier, when Malthus voiced his concern about the ability of the earth and its finite resources to feed an exponentially growing population. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on population and environment and to identify the main strands of thought and the assumptions that lie behind them. The author begins with a review of the historical perspective. He then reviews and assesses the evidence on the relationship between population and environment, focusing on selected natural and environmental resources: land use, water use, local pollution, deforestation and climate change. The author also reviews selected recent macro and micro perspectives. The new macro perspective introduces the environment-income relationship and examines the role of population growth and density in mediating this relationship. The new micro perspective introduces the...
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...directly contact the author through the address provided or join the discussion board for this paper at http://bit.ly/searca-dps-2007-1. DISCLAIMER The point of view taken in this paper is entirely that of the author and does not reflect in any way, SEARCA’s position. INTRODUCTION A ddresing the widespread poverty problem is the single most important policy challenge facing the Philippines. Not only is poverty high compared with other countries in East Asia, but also its reduction is so slow that the country has become the basket case in the region. Proposals peddled to address the poverty problem are plenty—and keep growing. At one end of the spectrum are proposals contending that the root of the problem is simply the lack of a respectable economic growth. Putting the economy on a high-growth path is prescribed as all that is needed to lick the poverty problem. At the other end are proposals asserting that the poverty problem is nothing but a concrete manifestation of gross economic and social inequities. Redistributing wealth and opportunities is viewed as the key to winning the war on poverty. A variant of such proposals holds that economic growth does not at all benefit the poor. Focusing on...
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