ENV200H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Demographic Transition, Ecological Footprint, Exponential Growth
Document Summary
Human population grew slowly until recently, exponential growth now. Invention of agriculture provided a steady food supply and allowed populations to grow. It took only 12 years to add the 7th billion. Some believe poverty and environmental degradation are a result of population. Some believe they are side effects of deeper social and political factors. Calculating impact of human population: i = pat, i = impact, p = population, a = A facility living an affluent lifestyle in usa could cause more damage than a whole village. Ecological footprint, amount of land required to support each of us poor, young and rapidly growing vs rich, old, shrinking population. Zpg, zero pop growth, births + immigration = deaths + emigration. Human population affluence, t = technology in africa. Education and income affect desire to have children. Typical pattern of falling death rates and birth rates due to improved living conditions. Stage 2: urbanizing/industrializing, better jobs, medical care etc.
