GREENHAVEN PRESS A part of Gale, Cengage Learning. ? o GALE Qt> CENGAGE Learnings

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1 GLOBALVIEWPOINTS Population Growth Noah Berlatsky, Book Editor ',,_ GREENHAVEN PRESS A part of Gale, Cengage Learning? o GALE Qt> CENGAGE Learnings Detroit New York San Francisco New Haven, Conn Waterville, Maine London

2 Contents Foreword 11 Introduction 14 Chapter 1: Population Growth and Hunger 1. The United States Must Support Family 20 Planning to Reduce Poverty and World Hunger Sneha Barot Food scarcity is in part a result of population growth. The U.S. needs to resume support for worldwide family planning to control population and reduce poverty and conserve food resources. 2. The Philippines Must Slow Population 33 Growth to Combat Food Crisis Antonio C. Abaya The Philippines is reluctant to support family planning because its people are primarily Roman Catholic. Nonetheless, population growth must be reduced or hunger will continue to plague the country. 3. Asia and Africa Face a Dangerous Reduction 39 in Farmland as Population Grows Janet Larsen Food production is tied to the amount of land available for farming. As population increases and available farmland shrinks, nations like Egypt, Pakistan, China, and Rwanda face growing threats of hunger and insecurity. 4. Ethiopia Must Reverse the Cycle of Population 46 Growth, Deforestation, and Starvation Mestawet Taye Asfaw In Ethiopia, population growth led to clearing forestland for farms. Deforestation upset the ecology, leading to drought and famine.

3 5. The Global Food Crisis Is Not 54 Caused by Overpopulation Paul Tuns Starvation is caused by many factors, but not primarily population growth. In fact, population growth contributes to economic growth. Governments should concentrate on alleviating starvation and poverty, not on reducing population. 6. Consumption by Wealthy Nations Is More 69 of a Threat than Population Growth George Monbiot World economic growth is many times greater than population growth. This means that population growth is much less of a threat to the environment, and has much less of an impact on food supplies, than does economic growth. Periodical Bibliography 75 Chapter 2: Population Growth and the Environment 1. World Population Growth Threatens 77 Environmental Disaster Khalid Md. Bahauddin The growth of world population threatens to destroy the environment, ruining freshwater sources, mango groves, coral reefs, forests, farmland, and coastal areas, forcing many species to extinction. 2. Pakistani Population Growth Will Contribute 84 to Global Warming Zofeen Ebrahim \ The rapid increase in population in places like Pakistan, coupled with economic development, will cause a huge increase in the emission of greenhouse gases. Family planning is vital if global warming trends are to be reversed.

4 3. Australia Faces Water Shortages 90 as Population Grows Luke Sunner Southeast Queensland is experiencing a serious drought, caused by poor water management and rapid population growth. A first step to a solution is for individuals to do more to conserve water. 4. Indonesia Fisheries May Be Destroyed 98 as Population Grows WALHI, the Indonesian Forum for Environment Population growth in Indonesia has led to an increase in fish consumption, which has depleted fishery reserves. To preserve fisheries, the government should crack down on illegal fishing and cease exporting fish. 5. Asia's Population and Economic Growth 103 Has Created Serious Pollution Problems Gretchen Cook-Anderson Asia has experienced rapid population and economic growth. As a result, it faces serious environmental problems, including air pollution that travels across the Pacific Ocean to North America. 6. The Galapagos Islands Face Loss of Ecological 111 Treasures as Population Grows Galapagos Conservancy The Galapagos Islands have long been relatively isolated. Due to tourism, population on the islands has grown rapidly, threatening many unique plant and animal species. 7. When Humans Leave, Other Species Thrive 118 Patrick Burns Depopulated areas, such as those around the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, support many animal species. The conclusion is that, while radiation is bad for wildlife, the presence of people is even worse. Periodical Bibliography 124

5 Chapter 3: Population Growth and Economic Development 1. India Must Give Its Poor Access to Credit 126 to Reduce Population Growth Atanu Dey The poor have many children because they have few resources other than the manpower supplied by their own children. Therefore, giving the poor access to capital will reduce their incentive to have many childrenr 2. Canada Should Tie Foreign Aid to Reduction 133 in Population Growth Tim Murray Canada's foreign aid has not improved lives in the countries that receive it. This is mainly because population growth negates the effect of aid. Therefore, Canada's foreign aid efforts should be dependent on population control measures. 3. Western Europe Needs More Immigration 139 to Fuel Population and Economic Growth The Economist European nations have shrinking populations and may face workforce shortages. Their governments should encourage immigration to alleviate the shortfall. 4. Japan's Population Decline May Help 145 Its Economic Growth William Pesek Most economists believe that a shrinking population will result in a shrinking economy. However, some theorists believe that lapan's shrinking population will force the country to innovate and grow. 5. Russia's Economy Is Hurt by Poor Health, 151 Not by Population Decline Dietwald Claus Many people claim that Russia's population decline will slow economic growth and weaken Russia militarily. In fact, Russia is weakened because its people are unhealthy and are therefore less productive than they should be.

6 Periodical Bibliography 163 Chapter 4: Population Growth and Society 1. Kenyan Violence Is Propelled by Growth 165 in Young Male Population Gunnar Heinsohn Kenya has a rapidly expanding population, and as a result the country has a large number of young men with few economic prospects, a situation ripe for violence. 2. Iran's Choice of Education Is Associated 171 with Decline in Fertility Mohammed Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, Wolfgang Lutz, Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi, and Samir K.C. Iran's fertility rate dropped from around 7 children per woman to around 2 over a 25-year period. A significant percentage of the decrease in fertility is attributable to a rise in education among Iranian women. 3. Egypt Struggles to Find Socially Acceptable 183 Ways to Reduce Fertility Will Rasmussen Egypt's government believes it needs to reduce population for economic growth. But Egyptians' desire for large families and their resistance to family planning make population reduction difficult. 4. Chinese People Support State-Enforced 190 Population Control and Abortion Jing-Bao Nie In part because of government propaganda, Chinese people overwhelmingly believe that overpopulation is a serious problem. As a result the majority support state limits on family size, and even state-mandated abortions.

7 5. To Control Population Growth, Peru 199 Forcibly Sterilized Women Angel Pdez The Peruvian government attempted to control population growth by forcibly sterilizing women in the late 1990s. A newly elected Peruvian congresswoman plays a role in the effort to bring charges against the responsible government officials. 6. Britain Faces Dangerous Cultural Changes 207 as Immigrants Cause Population Growth Robert Whelan Population growth caused by immigrants puts stress on Britain's resources. More importantly, immigrants do not necessarily share the British's commitment to freedom and human rights. 7. Palestinian Population Growth Is a Myth 214 Used to Intimidate Israel Caroline B. Glick The Palestinian population is not growing as rapidly as Israelis have been led to believe. Without the threat of a growing Palestinian population, there is no reason for Israel to abandon land claimed by the Palestinians. Periodical Bibliography 221 For Further Discussion 222 Organizations to Contact 224 Bibliography of Books 230 Index 234