Saturday, April 25, 2009
Overpopulation ♥ 2:52 PM
Overpopulation is controlled in many different countries, such as China, India and Japan. Although some methods do not work as well as others, they are trying. It is said that the population of the world will increase by 2.5 billion people by 2050. That's 149,000 (net) increase in people a day. Right now, we have a huge issue on our hands because our resources are limited and there's just not enough space for everyone on the planet. Scientists do believe, however, that the population will level out eventually and begin to decline at some point. This may not happen for years, though.
China has been doing its part by enforcing the "one-child" rule. This means that each couple is only allowed to have one child. This, however, does have its own challenges. Many couples want boys instead of girls, so the girls are abandoned at orphanages and left to die and fend for themselves. Boys have much more authority and power of girls in China, so it is understandable for a couple to want a boy for their only child.
If I were to propose a plan to help with the overpopulation crisis on our hands, it would be to encourage people to learn how to use resources wisely. Also, fighting disease and poverty would be helpful in that everyone gets a chance to survive, not just the wealthy or lucky ones who live in stable countries. Although the poverty and disease may be viewed as necessary, I don't believe it's ethical to think of others having to suffer and die in order to help control the population. Resources can be used in the right manner and support everyone without having to kill off those in worse conditions.
Also, empowering women in some cultures so that they have a say in how many kids they want to have may help, too. Some women do not have a say in how many children they wish to have and it is all up to their husbands. However, if these women have a say in such things, the population may be benefited. Finally, reforming the education and tax systems may help, too. Providing education about overpopulation to young children will help them learn how to help in the aid of keeping the world's population at a substantial number. Tax systems can also be changed in that if a couple has children, they get tax refunds only to a certain number. Take for example, if a couple has 5 kids, they would only get tax refunds on two of them. It would discourage couples having kids for the purpose of saving a little money, but it would not restrict the number of children a couple is able to have.
For more information: http://www.planetpapers.com/Assets/6135.php
Aimee