Term paper on Ehrlich S Population Bomb

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Ehrlich's Population Bomb

"People are realizing that we cannot forever continue to multiply and

subdue the earth without losing our standard of life and the natural beauty that

must be part of it. these are the years of decision- the decision of men to stay

the flood of man." Ehrlich here explains the one of the most pressing problems

facing man in the 20th century. In Population Bomb, Ehrlich explains that

pollution, shortages, and an overall deterioation of the standard of living is

all due to overpopulation.

In chapter one Ehrlich explains the pressing problems facing modern

civilization and how these problems are directly or indirectly linked to

overpopulation. Ehrlich explains situation using various examples of how mass

starvation is inevitable if population continues to increase the way it is

currently. In third world countries their food supplies are becoming

increasingly scarce because of their increasing populations. In these third

world countries the rich-poor gap is increasing creating the potential for large

parts of the population to starve. Paraphrasing Ehrlich's ideas in chapter can

be explained as; there is only so many resources and as population increases

those resources will soon be depleted. Ehrlich uses historical population

research to lead to the conclusion that in 90 years the population could be well

over the earths carrying capacity. In third world countries where population

control is rarely used population, pollution, and scarcity are becoming ever

increasing problems. Roughly 40% of the population in third world countries are

children 15 years or older. Ehrlich explains that if population growth

continues at this rate older generations will find themselves without adequate

food and medicine. Near the end of the chapter Ehrlich explains the cause of

the massive increase in population growth; as he explains that science and

medicine have decreased the death rate exponentially while the birth rate has

not decreased. In "Too Little Food" Ehrlich starts off with the assumption that

about 50% of the people in the world are in some degree malnourished. He uses

statistics from "New Republic" and the Population Crisis Committee to put the

number of deaths to around four million people dying each year of starvation

alone, not disease caused by starvation. Ehrlich explains that sometime around

1958 population growth exceeded the available food supply. When this happened

the laws of supply and demand took over and caused massive inflation in food

costs and causes marginal farm land to be put into production. All of these

signs caused a period of time with severe shortages in food. In 1966 alone the

world population increased by 70 million while food production remained

relativly the same from 1965. Ehrlich shows that the increasing food shortages

in under developed countries are putting an extra strain on US to produce more

food to keep them from starving. Another problem arises from these food

shipments to third world countries; third world countries are becoming dependant

on aid shipments, and because of this their own food production has declined.

Ehrlich says, " Most of these countries now rely heavily on imports. As the

crisis deepens, where will the imports come from? Not from Russia.Not from

Canada, Argentina, or Australia. They need money and will be busy selling to

food-short countries such as Russia, who can afford to buy. From the US then?

They will get some, perhaps, but not anywhere near enough. Our vast

agricultural surpluses are gone. Our agriculture is already highly efficient so

that the prospects of massively increasing production are dim. And the problems

of food transports are vast. No responsible person thinks that the US can save

the world from famine with food exports, although there is considerable debate

as to how long we can put off the day of reckoning. In the final part of

chapter one Ehrlich states all the problems that overpopulation has created.

One of the first problems is the environmental consequences of agriculture.

Even the US in facing problems maintaing our massive food production; erosion,

strip-mining, and gullying have become pressing problems facing the US.

Ehrlich presents a paradox by explaining that as food production is increased,

the quantity and quality of the farmlands...