Global Issues 621 WORLD POPULATION 1.6 Billion 1 2 2.3 Billion 6 Billion (approximately) 3 4 7.10 Billion (and growing) Population Notes While populations in many parts of the world are expanding, those in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (AND OTHER RICH INDUSTRIAL AREAS) show little or no growth (OR MAY ACTUALLY BE SHRINKING). Many of these richer countries must bring in immigrant workers to keep their economies thriving. There is a clear relationship between WEALTH and LOW FERTILITY: the higher the incomes and educational levels, the lower the rates of reproduction. 5 6 1
Population Notes Governments of nations with low birthrates find themselves with GROWING NUMBERS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE but fewer workers able to provide tax money for health care and pensions. Why did the population explode in the past 150 years? The INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION helped bring about improvements in food supplies and advances in both MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, which allowed people to live longer and to have healthier babies. Birth Rates Today, 15,000 PEOPLE ARE BORN INTO THE WORLD EVERY HOUR, and nearly all of them are in poor African, Asian, and South American nations. 7 8 What s the Relationship Here? Population Growth In LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES, WITH LIMITED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIRLS and women, birthrates reach their highest levels. In 2013, more than half of the world s populations lives in cities. 9 THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD IS NOT DISTRIBUTED EVENLY. For example, Canada and China are similar in size, yet China s population is 41 times larger than Canada s. 1.3 Billion (China) 35 Million (Canada) 10 Births and Deaths Affect Growth Slow Growth/Fast Growth Population sizes are constantly changing. In countries that are experiencing many more births than deaths, POPULATIONS ARE BALLOONING. In others, too few babies are born to replace the number of people who die, and POPULATIONS ARE SHRINKING. 11 NORTH AMERICA and AUSTRALIA are growing slowly. CHINA (1.3) and INDIA (1.2) each now have more than a billion people, making ASIA THE MOST POPULOUS CONTINENT. AFRICA, which has the third greatest growth, doesn t even come close (in the millions). 12 2
The Future: #1 Asia - 3,879,000,000 #2 Africa - 877,500,000 #3 Europe - 727,000,000 #4 North America - 501,500,000 #5 South America - 379,500,000 #6 Australia/Oceania - 32,000,000 #7 Antarctica - 0 According to experts, the world s population will not begin to level off until 2200, when it could reach 11 billion. Nearly all the new growth will take place in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Population Density A country s population density is estimated by figuring out HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD OCCUPY ONE SQUARE MILE IF THEY WERE ALL SPREAD OUT EVENLY. In reality, we live together more closely in cities, seacoasts, and in river valleys. Singapore - a tiny country largely composed of a single city, for example, has a high population density of 17,000 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE. Greenland, has less than one. 13 14 Most Crowded Countries/Dependencies (Density: population per square kilometre) 1. Monaco 17,676 2. Singapore 7,546 3. Vatican City 1,818 33. India 382 37. Japan 337 82. China 353 178.United States34 228.Canada 4 Least Crowded Countries/Dependencies (Density: population per square kilometre) 228. Canada 4 233. Australia 3 235. Iceland 3 236. Namibia 3 239.Mongolia 2 15 16 Countries by Population Urban Population Growth 1. China 1.3 billion 2. India 1.2 billion 3. United States 315 million 4. Indonesia 237 million 5. Brazil 194 million 09. Russia 143 million 10. Japan 127 million 11. Mexico 112 million 35. Canada 35 million 17 According to the United Nations Population Fund, the number of city dwellers now outnumbers those in rural areas. Although cities generate wealth and provide better health care, (along with electricity, clean water, sewage treatment, and other benefits), they can also cause great ecological damage. Squatter settlements and slums may develop if cities cannot keep up with millions of new arrivals. Smog, congestion, pollution, and crime are other dangers. 18 3
Population Warnings (Sierra Club) Life on earth is dependant on fossil fuels which creates too much C0 2, creating a heat-trapping blanket over our planet. In the last century, unsustainable population growth and excessive consumption (of fossil fuels) have raised the C0 2 levels too high. 19 20 AS WE ALL KNEW Also, agricultural expansion and forest depletion have increased C0 2 levels, but not to the extent of fossil fuels. In fact, those of us in the developed world (Canada, US, UK, etc.) must take the most responsibility. 21 Global Warming Warnings (Sierra Club) According to some experts, global warming can raise the temperature by about 13 degrees Celsius. That s enough to cause the following: RISING SEA LEVELS, COASTAL EROSION, DECREASED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, QUICKER EXTINCTION RATES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS DUE TO THEIR INABILITY TO ADAPT TO A CHANGING CLIMATE. ALSO, THERE WILL BE DROUGHTS, HURRICANES, TORNADOES, AND FLOODS. 22 Sierra Club Notes: As warmer temperatures spread north and south from the tropics, malaria-carrying mosquitoes will spread with them (THIS COULD INCREASE OUR CHANCES OF CATCHING IT BY 20%). 23 Sierra Club Warnings: The US has only 5% of the world s population but creates about 25% of the world s pollution. This makes the USA THE BIGGEST GLOBAL POLLUTER. We aren t much better we must lobby governments to: Reduce fossil fuel dependence, promote renewable wind and solar energy sources; we must also work to slow population growth by increasing access to voluntary family planning programs. 24 4
International Migration INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION (moving from one country to another) HAS REACHED ITS HIGHEST LEVEL, WITH FOREIGN WORKERS NOW PROVIDING THE LABOR IN SEVERAL Middle Eastern NATIONS. World Population on the Move INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION Also, immigrant workers are proving essential to rich countries with low birthrates. Refugees escape grim political and environmental conditions. (Source: 2006 UNFPA STATE OF WORLD POPULATION) 25 26 International Migration Facts: Nearly half of international migrants are women. family reunification, marriage, unemployment, low wages, poverty, limited social and economic opportunities and refugees. MIGRANT MEN are more likely to occupy highly skilled and better-paid jobs than migrant women, who tend to work in traditionally female occupations, often marked by low wages, the absence of social services and poor working conditions Migrant Women by Continent While most AFRICAN women migrants stay within the continent, many are also moving to North America and Europe, where employment opportunities have drawn an increasing number of educated women. Most female ASIAN migrants travel alone in search of work to neighboring East Asian countries as well as to the Middle East, where there is an unprecedented demand for domestic work. Among female migrants from LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, top destinations include North America and Europe. 27 28 The State of World Population 2008 FROM THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA) REPORT: UNLEASHING THE POWER OF URBAN GROWTH The UNFPA Reports: Nearly one half of all people are under the age of 25. Almost 1 in 4 youth live in extreme poverty. Why? No parents, migration, disability, poor health, AIDS, living on the street, political and ethnic conflicts. 29 30 5
UNFPA Reports: UNFPA Reports: Young women are mostly at risk because of: Education Discrimination Unequal power relations Child marriage Sexual Violence Sexual Trafficking Female Genital Cutting Child marriage (OFTEN ARRANGED /COMPULSORY) jeopardizes the health and opportunities afforded to women and their children, It also disrupts their education (IF THEY WERE ALLOWED TO BE IN SCHOOL). A youth is infected with HIV every 14 seconds! Discussing sexual behavior is TABOO (not permitted) in many countries so youth don t know the risks. It often leads youth to obtain their sexual information from inaccurate sources. 31 32 UNFPA Reports: UNFPA Report: Life Expectancy High levels of unwanted PREGNANCY AND ABORTION are evidence of a large (and unmet) need for family planning among adolescents. GOVERNMENTS need to do more to educate their young people on sexual behavior and the risks associated. Sierra Leone = 46 Afghanistan = 47 Rwanda = 53 United States = 81 (w), 76 (m) Japan = 87 (w), 79 (m) Canada = 82(w), 78 (m) 33 34 If the World Were One Hundred People... 7.1 BILLION DOWN TO 100 IMAGINE IT... 35 36 6
37 38 39 40 41 42 7
43 44 45 46 Considering our world in these terms, the need for: Acceptance Understanding Education becomes glaringly apparent. 47 48 8
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT If you woke up this morning with more health than illness YOU ARE MORE BLESSED THAN THE MILLION WHO WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS WEEK. 49 50 If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation YOU ARE LUCKIER THAN 500 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD If you can attend church without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death YOU HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN THREE BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. 51 52 If your parents are still alive and still married YOU ARE VERY RARE, EVEN IN CANADA... If you can read this message YOU ARE MORE BLESSED THAN OVER TWO BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO CANNOT READ AT ALL. 53 54 9
If you hold your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful YOU ARE LUCKY, BECAUSE THE MAJORITY CAN, BUT MOST DO NOT. THINK ABOUT IT 55 56 10