Overconsumption or Overpopulation: Which Is the Bigger of Two Vices to the Progress of Sustainability Today?

Global and Regional Sustainability
Over-population or Overconsumption: Which is the bigger of two vices to the progress of sustainability today?

In the age, where the collective value of goods and commodities, the strength of economic markets and the accumulated wealth of individuals dictate the ease of life and the standards of living within society; it is imperative that we as a species reiterate to ourselves that the natural resources that enable us to fulfil all our basic needs, fashion all our desirable wants; and provisions the framework on which we build our cities, economies and daily lives remains limited and finite (McMahon, 2001 ; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board, 2005). The finality of such finite resources demands the attention for them to be sustainably managed so as to ensure their prolonged availability for the future. Similarly, the natural processes that support our existence and facilitates the conditions for us to provision for our needs; demand mindful care so as to prevent the impairment of such natural functions and services for future generations (United Nations, 2008). Whilst resource availability as well as ecosystem services and turnover remain finite and paced; the goods and services demanded by a growing affluent yet wasteful global population can be seen to rise steadily (United Nations Environmental Programme, 2002; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board, 2005). As such, over-population versus over-consumption and which poses a bigger threat to the idea and practice of sustainability has been and remains a highly contested issue amongst sustainability proponents. This essay therefore seeks to examine and distinguish the intrinsic components that define the terms overpopulation and over-consumption, whilst attempting to shed light on which poses a more significant threat to the development and practice of global sustainability by examining the effects of both within arenas of food production and ecosystem function. I believe

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