Population and Pollution

Pollution

Human populations increasing at a rapid rate. This is the result of the birth rate exceeding the death rate.

The increasing population results in an increasing in the demand for finite resources like fossil fuels and minerals which are used for fuel. 

As more fossil fuels and oils are burned to produce energy, a greater amount of pollution is produced, in particular:

-household waste and sewage

-sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.

Pollution can effect the number and type of organisms that can survive. For example, dark peppered moths will survive in polluted areas; pale ones will be eaten as they aren't camouflaged. The exponential growth of human population means that the demand for resources is also exponential.This has a number of consequences:

-Raw materials like oil and minerals are being used up extremely quickly.

-Pollution and waste are building up at an alarming rate.

-As resources become in short supply, there is more and more competition for basic things like food and water, which become more expensive.

Although the developed countries of the world (e.g. France, Japan, UK, USA) have a small proportion of the worlds population, they use the greatest amount of resources and produce the largest proportion of pollution.

Carbon footprint is the term used to refer to the amount of greenhouse gases a person or event is responsible for emitting in a given time scale. The amount will depend on the person's lifestyle.

Ozone Depletion

Ozone is a natural gas found high up in the Earth's atmosphere. It prevents too many harmful UV rays reaching the Earth.

Recently, scientists have noticed that the ozone layer is becoming thinner; it is depleting. Many people blame the use…