Every eight seconds the wonderful event of birth occurs. Our population is growing, but the Earth is not. The estimated population of the world is approximately 7,125,000,000. In 1999 the population had just reached 6 billion. In only twelve years, the population increased by one billion. Our population reached one billion in 1804. Perhaps this rapid growth is a problem.

However, many people today feel that this expansion is natural and should not be of concern. A recent study stated that if everyone in the entire world were to stand shoulder to shoulder we would stay within the city limits of Los Angeles California. But think about it, does the effect a person has on the Earth only involve the size of the individual?

It has been discovered that Earth has 1.9 hectares of land available for each individual. In the United States, the average person’s ecological footprint is 9.7 hectares; the average Mozambicans footprint is 0.47 hectares. This distinct distance between two worlds is an effect of reaching cultural carrying capacity. The idea that the carrying capacity of our planet is said to be roughly fifty billion people brings comfort to many people; however, many people do not understand what that means. Although carrying capacity is how many people the Earth can care for, these fifty billion people will be living with the bare minimum: just enough food to survive. On the other hand, cultural carrying capacity is how much the earth can sustain with everyone living comfortably. Although this number is not yet known, it can be assumed that we are closing in on it.

Moreover, our high population demands monumental amounts from the Earth. Deforestation is a major issue caused by population. Vital ecosystems such as rainforests are being destroyed because of the many people demanding coal, oil, and cheap food. If our populations were to be lower, such things would not be an issue. Although our actions are significantly more harmful than our ancestors, it is our large population that makes it an issue that cannot be ignored. An example of this is the Carbon Dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide has always been present in the atmosphere; however, the Earth has always regulated it. Now that Carbon Dioxide accounts for about 84% of the green house gases released, our Earth cannot regulate it as much as necessary and is slowly dying. It is literally suffocating from the build up of green house gases.

So why is our population so enormous? The United States is one of the largest countries in the world and its population is only 315 million, less than 5% of the world’s population: it is developing countries that pose an issue. Places such as Africa have 1.033 billion people; in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, 870 million people are unable to access enough food. Many civilians must work as prostitutes to earn enough for their families; however, many become pregnant. Due to this recent addition to the family, the rest of the children must join the work force as prostitutes and the cycle continues.

However, culture also poses a significant issue. Places such as India have a patriarchal society where males are valued more highly than females. One of the main reasons for this male dominance is the fact that it is the males that stay with the family, while females move in with their husbands to care for his parents. The result of this is young girls being expected to bare a male child by her new husband and in-laws. If they do not have a male, they continue to have children until their desired amount of sons is reached. This is one of the reasons that their population is the second highest in the world.

Now the important question: what can be done to stop this growth? It is an answer as old as time: education. Many people are not aware of or are unable to use birth control or other contraceptive methods: An estimated 222 million women in developing countries would like to use contraception. In fact, many women die while giving birth leaving the entire family in the hands of one. If the availability and acceptation of contraception is increased, population will be better controlled and people all over the globe will have better lives. Controlling the population improves the health of our Earth and the health of our people.