Persuasive Essay on Overpopulation

There are approximately 6 billion people on our planet now and by 2050 that number is expected to jump to 9 billion people. (http://www.prb.org/datafind/datafinder5.htm) Picture yourself driving down a crowded street or stuck in a traffic jam, have you ever wondered how it is possible for that many people to live all on the same planet. I have had those thoughts several times and believe that overpopulation is one of the biggest problems in the world today. Overpopulation has become a major crisis in the twenty-first century and it's detrimental affect on our living standards, environment, and much needed resources. The problem is not the number of people in this world, but the way people choose to live. The dilemmas created by overpopulation affect people of all races and social status. This is why we as the "human race" must work together to preserve our planet and necessary resources before it is too late.
The living standards embraced by today's population causes people to consume more resources, which in turn produces more waste and raises life expectancy. New industrial developments have provided a sense of stability and a lot more jobs for the people in their surrounding communities. Also, the increase in wages has allowed people to have larger families because they are able to support them financially. Statistics show that a child born in the U.S. today will produces 52 tons of waste and consume 11 million gallons of water by the age of 27. ("World Overpopulation Awareness" 2001) This is only one person; imagine what the numbers would look like for the entire population. Certain illnesses and diseases can be linked to the exposure the abundant amount of waste products and have a tendency to be more devastation and promenade in overpopulated areas.
Fortunately, advances in the medical field, better doctors and new medications have all played a part in the decrease of these illnesses and have increased the life expectancy for people today

References: The Population Reference Bureau site provided this fact about the population (http://www.prb.org/datafind/datafinder5.htm) The World Overpopulation Awareness site provided statistics about life expectancy http://www.overpopulation.org/