Jhon Ralph L.
Flores
Populations are growing at 2.11% every year.
Over 17 million people added each year.
Biggest challenge: Limit population growth
Population - It describes a group of individuals of the same species occupying a specific area at a specific
time.
Factors that account for this growth
1. Humans developed the ability to expand into diverse new habitats and different climate zones.
2. The emergence of early and modern agriculture allowed more to be fed for each unit of land area
farmed.
3. The development of sanitation systems, antibiotics, and vaccines helped control infectious disease
agents. As a result, death rates dropped sharply below birth rates and population size grows rapidly.
Human Population Dynamics
It is a field that tracks factors related to changes in population such as fertility rate and life expectancy.
Predicting population changes is important because these demographic trends impact economic, social,
and environmental systems.
An increase in human population can impact the quality of natural resources like biodiversity, air, land, and
water.
As human communities use more resources, they generate contaminants, such as air and water
pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, along with increasing quantities of waste.
The world’s population is projected to increase from 6.6 billion to 8.9 billion between 2006 and 2050. Some
argue that the planet has too many people. Some feel that the world can support billions of more people due
to technological advances.
There is a constant debate over the need to reduce population growth.
Population Parameters
Population Size - It is the number of individuals present in a subjectively designated geographic range.
Birth Rate - It is the proportion of births to the total population in a place at a given time.
Age Structure
It refers to the proportionate numbers of people in different age categories in a given population for a
defined time.
It is a natural characteristic of a population in a country or a region.
The age structure is closely related to the birth rate, death rate, and migration of a population.
It is portrayed as an age pyramid that shows the youngest age at the bottom.
Jhon Ralph L. Flores
Population Density
It is a measurement of the number of individuals per unit geographic area.
It is often used as a simple relative measure of how an organism responds to local conditions.
Population Models
Exponential Growth
J-Shaped
It is the most basic model of population dynamics which assumes that an environment has unlimited
resources and can support an unlimited number of individuals.
Logistic Growth
S-shaped
It is the rate of growth of a population that depends on the population density.
It can reach a state of equilibrium called carrying capacity.
Jhon Ralph L. Flores
Factors that affect population density
1. Physical Factors
2. Economic Factors
3. Social Factors
4. Political Factors
Fecundity - It describes the number of offspring an individual or a population can produce during a given period of
time.
Death Rate - It is the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population during a particular period.
Emigration - to leave your country of origin and live someplace else.
Immigration - to live in a country that is not your country of origin.
Top 10 Most Populous Countries
Strategies in Population Control
One Child Policy
• Chinese government introduced this policy in 1979 to alleviate social and environmental problems.
• Enacted to address the growth rate of the country’s population, which the government viewed as being too rapid.
Two Child Policy
India was the first country to take measures for family planning back in 1951.
Only those with two or fewer children are eligible for election to a local government, and the facilities offered
were limited to two children only.
Jhon Ralph L. Flores
Taxing Singles more than Couples
Paying Parents for having kids (VOX, 2016)
Universal Child Benefit – basic income only for families with children
Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Kenya – testing stage
France, Germany, Ireland and Sweden - implemented a version of it
Jhon Ralph L. Flores
Renewable and Non-renewable Resources
The world's demand for natural resources has grown rapidly, with a 50% increase in consumption over the
past 30years.
84% of global energy comes from non-renewable resources (oil, coal, Natural gas).
16% comes from renewable sources (wind, solar, hydropower, etc.).
Natural Resources – These are materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic growth.
Renewable – Natural Resources that can be replenished naturally over time.
Non – renewable – Natural resources that exist in limited supply and cannot be replenished within a human life time.
Renewable Resources
Solar Energy - Energy from the sun harnessed using solar panels. Used in solar power plants and residential solar
systems.
Wind Energy – Energy from the wind harnessed captured by turbines. Used in wind farms and offshore wind
turbines.
Hydropower – Energy from moving water, typically generated by dams. Applied in electricity generation from
hydropower plants.
Biomass – Organic Material that can be burned or converted into biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. Applied in
transportation fuels and electricity productions.
Geothermal Energy – heat from within the earth is used for electricity generation and direct heating applications.
Applied in geothermal power plants and heating systems.
Advantages of Renewable Resources
Environmentally Friendly - Low or zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainable Supply – replenish naturally and are less likely to be exhausted.
Energy Independence – reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels and enhances national energy security.
Challenges and Barriers of Renewable Resources
High Initial Costs – The cost of installing solar panels, wind turbines, and other technologies can be
significant.
Intermittency – Some renewable resources, such as solar and wind, are dependent on weather and may
not provide a consistent energy supply.
Energy Storage Issues – need for efficient and scalable storage technologies like batteries to store surplus
energy for later use.
Jhon Ralph L. Flores
Non-renewable Resources
Fossil Fuels - formed from the remains of ancient organisms over millions of years. Top source of electricity in the
country, which includes coal, oil, and natural gas. Applied in transportation, electricity, and heating.
Nuclear Energy – energy generated from nuclear fission of uranium atoms. Applied in electricity generation.
Advantages of Non-renewable resources
High Energy Density – Fossil fuels contain a large amount of energy per unit, making them highly efficient
for electricity generation and transportation.
Established Infrastructure – The global economy has long relied to non-renewable energy, and the
infrastructure is already in place for extraction, transportation, and use.
Reliability – Non-renewable resources provide a continues and reliable source of energy, especially for
base-load electricity generation.
Global Energy Trends
Increasing investment in renewable energy technologies.
Governments adapting policies to promote clean energy like tax incentives and carbon pricing.
Growth of wind, solar, and other renewables in the energy mix.
Future Challenges
Challenges in scaling up renewable energy to meet global demand.
Importance of balancing current energy needs with sustainability goals.
Encourage investments in renewable energy and responsible use of non-renewable resources.
