Oil Prop Simulation: The Problem Of Overpopulation

Did you know that the United States alone has used ⅓ of the world's resources? We are overusing natural resources and action needs to be taken to address this problem that is becoming more life-threatening over time. Overpopulation is a crucial factor in this problem. Natural resources are provided by the environment; they support life and satisfy everyone’s needs, but not the environment itself. The way that resources are retrieved and used is unacceptable and very harmful to our environment; the problem is that most of them are nonrenewable (Oil Prop Simulation- I will show the class how oil is retrieved). They will be gone forever after they are used, which is why their use and more importantly, their extraction should be limited and maybe completely stopped. To begin with, the earth’s population is growing at a fast rate that we cannot handle. Overpopulation plus overuse of resources equals a funeral for the earth in the very near future. By the time we get to “2050, human beings could devour an estimated 140 billion tons of minerals, ores, fossil fuels and biomass per year – three times the current consumption
rate” (Humanity’s Voracious Consumption). If there was a smaller population, then the amount of resources that are used will not be as critical. The use of natural deposits is different for each country. People living in developed countries such as the US are using more resources than people living in other lower-class countries. In fact, the US makes 4.5% of the world population, but uses 20% of its energy (Population and Energy). Most of you do not care what happens after you are gone, but that is not the right way of thinking. It is unfair to the future generations to have a damaged earth, particularly when we can do something about it. One way we can start the process of limiting the intake of the earth’s resources is using alternative and renewable resources. “ Alternative energy is usable energy derived from replenishable sources such as the Sun (solar energy), wind (wind power), rivers (hydroelectric power), hot springs (geothermal energy), tides (tidal power), and biomass (biofuels)” (Selin). Using these kinds of materials will help balance the intake of renewable and nonrenewable resources. Applying the use of renewable resources to all countries, substantially the developed ones, will help sustain the earth for the future generations. Many of these renewable resources are being put to use such as solar and wind power, but they are not being used enough to affect the overuse of resources. Those kinds of resources help us create electricity, but that is not what is important. The greater challenge will be finding other resources that will replace petroleum. Most people around the world are finding it hard to use their car less and walk more, which is why one of the only way to keep the earth alive is to find other energy sources such as biofuels and even coffee grounds. These kinds of alternative fuels are renewable and will cause less pollution because they are made from renewable natural resources (Selin). Overpopulation is what is causing the overuse of the raw material.
It is almost like a cancer that does not stop spreading and growing. It would be really hard to limit the number of children that people have, but that is the only reliable way to solve the problem of overpopulation, which will solve the overuse of nonrenewable resources. Overpopulation causes desertification, contamination, disease, environmental damage, unemployment, and war (Alder). We need to find a solution because overpopulation is a bigger threat than we know. The earth will be destroyed not so far in the future and the only way to sustain life on earth is for the population to get smaller because there haven't been any recent discoveries of life on other planets. Smaller population plus slow usage of resources and using alternative energy equals a better future for the
earth.
As I previously stated, there are many problems with the earth right now and nothing is changing for the better. The citizens of the US are using more than other countries and the solution is to use alternative energies and resources to sustain the earth. This solution will be hard to regulate with overpopulation, which is why there needs to be a limit on the number of kids that people have. The Industrial Revolution started it all because new machines that needed resources to fuel them were invented. This was the origin of the overuse of natural and nonrenewable resources and it is now in your hands to change things. Will you take action and try to sustain the earth to the best of your ability? Or will you sit around and only care about what happens now?