"Overpopulation" is a widely discussed concept that is deeply ingrained in our language, creating fear, uncertainty, and concerns. The rapid increase of the human population has resulted in surpassing Earth's carrying capacity. Addressing overpopulation cannot be ignored or easily resolved. However, there are steps humanity can take to alleviate this issue. By reducing consumption, reassessing our norms, and assisting developing nations, we can mitigate this troubling circumstance. Currently, the Earth supports over 8.7 billion individuals across various species.
The world's vast number of species relies on both renewable and non-renewable resources. As human civilization has advanced and our needs have increased, our standard of living has also improved. Currently, it is impossible to determine the Earth's carrying capacity because we have not yet reached its physical limit. The issue of overpopulation is no
...t solely determined by the global population count but rather by how individuals consume resources from the Earth. Our population is measured based on our resource usage, the remaining quantity of resources, and our ability to replenish them. The emission of greenhouse gases acts as an indicator of our high rate of resource consumption since a higher rate results in a larger ecological footprint.
In 2013, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emitted 200m tonnes of greenhouse gases, resulting in a per capita emission of 24.19 tonnes (Todorova, 2015). Despite having a population of about 9 million and an ecological footprint of 9.7 per person with a biocapacity of 0.6, the UAE surpasses countries like China and India in terms of greenhouse contributions despite their larger populations (“Open Data Platform”, 2018). Although the UAE may not have the highest population, their resource consumption is significant. Cement
and aluminium production each accounted for 8% of emissions in 2013, waste contributed to 6% of emissions, and the agricultural sector contributed to1% (Todorova, 2015). The problem lies not in our population size but rather in our consumption patterns and habits.
The consumption rate is affected by living standards. Lower living standards lead to lower consumption rates because there is less need for resources. Income levels also reflect this trend. People who can afford a luxurious lifestyle tend to raise their standards accordingly. According to an article from the BBC, individuals in high-income countries should help sustain the world's population. This includes adopting low-carbon lifestyles and accepting government support for these measures, even if they are unpopular (Cumming, 2016).
While it is easier said than done, it is not impossible to give up some comfortability in order for humanity to continue existing. In fact, we do not even need that comfortability in the first place.
