Starting with the decline in the availability of certain natural resources, across environmental pollution and climate change, up to mass unemployment, poverty, and starvation, the list of problems ascribed to the growing world population is almost endless, culminating in dire warnings of an imminent overpopulation. Given the fact that the population has particularly been growing in emerging and developing countries: What a non-sophisticated way to see things! The aim of this essay is to show that less overpopulation than the worldwide inequality – mainly created by the economic elite of industrialized countries – is the real problem of the present and that it might become the most important problem of the future if we don't change our standing on economics.
The first issue always considered as an important problem of a growing world population is the scarcity of resources. It cannot be denied that some natural resources are scarce. Thus, in order to safeguard the existence of humans, active protection of these resources is necessary. However, even though industrialized countries consume more resources than developing ones, new technologies developed in free-market economies have made it possible to get more and more out of the available resources. Based on this trend and given the proven decline in birth rates in industrialized countries, wouldn't it be best to focus more on the promotion of free-market economies in developing countries?
Another problem frequently discussed in the context of overpopulation is its impact on the environment. More and more people require more and more living space and food. Consequently, more and more trees are being destroyed, trees that usually take up carbon dioxide, which, when set free into the atmosphere, contributes to global warming, which again is supposed to induce climate change. Or, environmental pollution caused by the garbage of an increasing number of consumers of an increasing number of products. – Meanwhile, there is a number of viable solutions to many of these problems. Unfortunately, governments still tend to surrender to the lobbyism of powerful corporations. Or, does anyone indeed believe that we are not able to produce enough food to feed the world population, while it is widely known that every day tons of food are thrown away, just to keep prices up?
Finally, many people argue that a growing population will aggravate the situation in the job market. Even most industrialized countries with a functioning market economy are nowadays facing the problem of increasing unemployment. Many Third world countries, in addition, have a much higher number of children or young people. And, since there is serious concern that governments will not be able to create enough jobs to give work to their younger generations, there is also growing concern regarding migration, poverty, and crime. In fact, recent developments suggest that exactly this aspect of our economy might be a much more serious problem than the growing world population itself.
In conclusion, it might be said that overpopulation isn't necessarily the most important problem facing the world today. Much more important in the short and medium-term might be the necessity to make progress with industrialization in developing countries. This necessity is a huge challenge, it can, however, also be regarded as the possibility to create new jobs in many different areas not only in the developing countries but also in industrialized countries.
The key to resolving a large percentage of the problems is education. Many qualified specialists in a wide range of areas are needed. Some of them might acquire education as foreign students in industrialized countries, but some of these specialists might also be provided by industrialized countries by for example offering jobs to young people in those countries where it isn't easy to find a job at present. In the face of the cultural and ideological challenges facing the world today, it is, moreover, particularly important to put more emphasis on the humanist education of all people. Many of our problems are of a purely technical, scientific nature, but constantly striving for progress, we are largely inclined to resolve these problems. Where we usually lag behind is resolving ideological, political, humanitarian, and economic issues. This might be our chance to remedy this deficiency.
