2011-02-25, 02:50 AM
If I recall correctly: Growth Rate = [1] (Crude Birth Rate - Crude Death Rate) + [2] (Immigration - Emmigration). In the case of world wide population control, the net migration which is covered in [2] is moot as individuals leaving one portion will be entering the other. Therefore from a world perspective, net migration will always be equivalent to zero. Therefore that leaves [1] which means that we can lower world population by either (a) reducing births and/or (b) increasing deaths. Due to [b] being incredibly controversial due to our current system of morals, see Euthanasia, it seems that the main method of keeping down population growth will be by [a] reducing births as displayed by China's One Child Policy and India's national effort to advertise and distribute contraceptives. The policies have led to mixed responses and discrepancies exist. The following is a snippet blurb from the following NY Times Article.
Enacting the proper policy for each country, much less the world is a difficult task as even China has not successfully managed to achieve stability with the administration of their population control.
Another orientation to consider when thinking about demographics is the POET scheme: Population, Organization, Environment, and Technology. In essence, the POET scheme attempts to identify the core problem out of these four options.
For instance, Malthusians believe that population is the major problem. In order to assist the environment, maintain organization, and support technology it is of understanding that the rate of natural increase (births - deaths) should be regulated and reduced from its current value if the other three factors are to improve.
High Techs on the other hand have the belief that humans are innovative individuals and are able to invent new devices such as contraceptives, water purifiers, and alternative fuel sources that will remediate setbacks to the environment and will promote further expansion. I actually find it rather ironic that we can be conscientious of phenomena such as global warming, due to advanced computer systems that may have not been conceived if not for the Industrial Revolution. A period that involved much innovation, but also produced much pollution.
Marxists feel that population, environment, and technology are all false problems. The main problem tends to be organization. When my professor was getting his PhD in Bangor, he stated that the stores always had a refund bottle policy where you would receive a decent amount of money back for returning glass bottles that would be reused by the store after washing them. Then came the advent of plastic bottles as a main form of liquid distribution and glass bottles were phased out. Unfortunately, the refund bottle policy was also phased out along with the glass bottles. The core problem was one of organizational policy. Plastic bottles in and of themselves are indicative of disorganization. The bottle cap is composed of polypropylene which is a type 5 plastic. However, the bottle body is polyethylene terephthalate which is a type 1 plastic as noted on NPR. Due to the fact that there is a 100-degree melting point discrepancy, usually only one type of plastic can be recycled based on market demand. If there is no market demand, then recycling might not simply occur at all, therefore resulting in waste which is a detriment to the population and the environment.
In the end the POET scheme isn't intended to force you to subscribe to any "one belief". On the contrary it is set up to be conceptual so that anyone can try to think of population in terms of broader themes rather than focused examples.
NYT Wrote:As the report makes clear, China’s family-planning policies are unevenly applied and replete with exceptions. The rich simply pay the fines levied on those who ignore the restrictions, and some middle-class women have gotten around the rules by traveling overseas to give birth to a second child. Millions of couples refuse to register their newborns with the authorities, although that approach leaves such children ineligible for an array of social benefits, including a free education.
Enacting the proper policy for each country, much less the world is a difficult task as even China has not successfully managed to achieve stability with the administration of their population control.
Another orientation to consider when thinking about demographics is the POET scheme: Population, Organization, Environment, and Technology. In essence, the POET scheme attempts to identify the core problem out of these four options.
For instance, Malthusians believe that population is the major problem. In order to assist the environment, maintain organization, and support technology it is of understanding that the rate of natural increase (births - deaths) should be regulated and reduced from its current value if the other three factors are to improve.
High Techs on the other hand have the belief that humans are innovative individuals and are able to invent new devices such as contraceptives, water purifiers, and alternative fuel sources that will remediate setbacks to the environment and will promote further expansion. I actually find it rather ironic that we can be conscientious of phenomena such as global warming, due to advanced computer systems that may have not been conceived if not for the Industrial Revolution. A period that involved much innovation, but also produced much pollution.
Marxists feel that population, environment, and technology are all false problems. The main problem tends to be organization. When my professor was getting his PhD in Bangor, he stated that the stores always had a refund bottle policy where you would receive a decent amount of money back for returning glass bottles that would be reused by the store after washing them. Then came the advent of plastic bottles as a main form of liquid distribution and glass bottles were phased out. Unfortunately, the refund bottle policy was also phased out along with the glass bottles. The core problem was one of organizational policy. Plastic bottles in and of themselves are indicative of disorganization. The bottle cap is composed of polypropylene which is a type 5 plastic. However, the bottle body is polyethylene terephthalate which is a type 1 plastic as noted on NPR. Due to the fact that there is a 100-degree melting point discrepancy, usually only one type of plastic can be recycled based on market demand. If there is no market demand, then recycling might not simply occur at all, therefore resulting in waste which is a detriment to the population and the environment.
In the end the POET scheme isn't intended to force you to subscribe to any "one belief". On the contrary it is set up to be conceptual so that anyone can try to think of population in terms of broader themes rather than focused examples.