Devyansh Sharma
Human Overpopulation
Human overpopulation is an undesirable condition where the number of existing human population
exceeds the carrying capacity (maximum amount of people that can be supported sustainably in an
environment) of Earth. Overpopulation is quite noticeable in countries like India and China. It poses some
serious challenges to these countries in terms of resource distribution and governance. Soon, the impacts
of overpopulation are going to spread to many, if not all countries, including Canada. The Canadian
population is increasing by around 8% every five years. If there are thirty six and a half million Canadians
in 2016, the prediction is that there will be over forty two million in 2040. The issues being faced in India
and China due to human overpopulation could very well be spreading to Canada within my lifetime.
Overpopulation’s most negative effects are natural resource drain, environmental damage, and the
inevitability of aggression and war.
There are about seven and a half billion people in the world right now. According to United Nations
predictions, by 2050, an estimated nine and a half billion will be calling Earth their home. With increasing
population, there is a need for more life sustaining resources, including air, water, food, shelter and
energy. All these resources are not unlimited. Although it is very difficult to calculate the human carrying
capacity of the Earth, we can make a fair prediction considering the current biological footprint of humans
on the planet. Today, our global footprint is overshot. If we continue the same way, it would take three
Earths to sustain the total human population by 2050.
As the human population explodes, the natural resources like air, water, arable land, forests, and
fossil fuels like oil continue to plummet. ​It is estimated that with the amount of oil the world has now and
the rate at which we consume, it will last us about thirty five years. Oil is major source of energy in
today’s day. Canada is among the top five distributors of oil in the world but also a major consumer.
Significant oil consumption is in the transportation area. In 2010, almost 35% of the energy consumed in
Canada was for transportation. With increasing population, there will be a need to increase the means of
transportation and hence the need for oil. Canada, being one of the top developed countries, is a
promising and alluring immigration destination. This country provides one of the best medical systems,
great education opportunities and highest of living standards. In 2016 alone, over 300 000 immigrants
moved to Canada. That is about twenty eight people per hour crossing into Canadian territory. From 2011
to 2016, the population increased by 7.5%. By the time I graduate from high school in 2020, it is
estimated that the population will grow by almost 9.5%. It is very likely that Canada will soon be feeling
the repercussions of human overpopulation from other parts of the world.
The increasing population of the country will not only impact the natural resources but also place a
significant burden on the physical and social infrastructure of the country. Going forward, we need to
match up the supply of building, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, housing, means of transportation,
correctional facilities, and civic utilities because of the exploding population. Our governance style
would likely need to be changed. This would mean that the coming generations would be competing for
these resources on a very high level, just like the developing countries. This also means that the current
generation would need to be ready for cut throat competition for obtaining high class education, jobs,
promotions and lifestyle. From being a country that has abundance of opportunities for all, where all can
pursue their dreams, Canada would become a land of competition; a country where you will be able to
pursue your dream only if you are the best. From a society that values human life, human aspirations and
equal opportunity for all, to a society that would become a battleground of fierce competition in each and
every aspect of life. This would mean higher levels of aggression resulting in elevated crime rates. Then
there will be a need to change rules to manage, regulate, and govern so many people. This would result in
changing the socio-economic makeup of society. That is an indication of a very stressful future. My
generation, and more so the future generations, would have a very different Canada to call their country
than what our parents and past generations enjoyed.
As Martin Luther King said, “Unlike plagues of the Dark Ages or contemporary diseases, we do not
understand, the modern plague of overpopulation is soluble by means we have discovered and with the
resources we possess. What is lacking is not sufficient knowledge of the solution but universal
consciousness of the gravity of the problem and education of the billions who are its victim”. Now that we
understand the gravity of the situation, the focus should be placed on finding solutions and being ready to
face the future challenges caused by overpopulation. There should be a two-fold approach to deal with
this crisis and its impacts on Canada. There should be efforts made to promote family planning,
encourage adoption, educate people on overpopulation, consumption habits and sustaining our
environment. At the same time, efforts need to be placed on controlling the immigration, boosting the
efforts of inventing means of renewable energy, regulating the usage of fossil fuels, regulating
deforestation, and finding ways to be ready in terms of physical and social infrastructure to deal with the
rising human population within Canada and around the globe. Every effort needs to be made to ensure
that we hand over the same or a better Canada to our future generations as we received from our parents.
End of Essay
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Canada 150 and Me
Overpopulation Bibliography
-Devyansh Sharma
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