山西农业大学环境科学专业英语2.docVIP

Unit 2: Population Resources and Environment All too often, overpopulation is thought of simply as crowding: too many people in a given area, too high a population density. Between 1900 and now, the worlds population has roughly quadrupled from about 1.6 billion in 1900 to about 6 billion today and is currently growing at an annual rate of 1.2%, or 77 million people per year. Six countries account for half of this annual growth: India for 21%, China for 12%, Pakistan for 5%, Nigeria for 4%, Bangladesh for 4%, and Indonesia for 3%. By 2050, world population is expected to be between 7.9 billion (low variant) and 10.9 billion (high variant), with the medium variant producing 9.3 billion. There would be a rapid aging of the worlds population. In the past, the median age for the worlds population has been between 20 and 25 years. It is now about 26 years. By 2050, the median age for a depopulating globe would be about 42 years. In the more developed regions the median age of population would be over 50. That is to say: for every person under the age of 50, there would be someone over the age of 50. A complete transformation of the profile of the world would thus occur. The explosion of world population is an outgrowth of the industrial age, and three key factors are to blame: increased food production, disease control, and better sanitation. These advances greatly increase the survival rate of newborns, but this great change occurs in many countries without any decrease in the number of births. Population growth is at the root of virtually all environment problems, including pollution and resources depletion, and indirect social disruptions, such as housing shortages, malnutrition and inadequate health care. Rapid growth in population creates difficulties in meeting the basic needs of people, while crowding may cause mental illness, drug abuse and various forms of antisocial behavior. Hunger, starvation, disease, poverty, illiteracy, pollution, unemployment, and barren