Overpopulation By 2050 And Your Role As A Civil Engineering

Over the years, the Earth’s population has been growing at a seemingly alarming rate, in which the issue of overpopulation has become a global problem. Overpopulation is described as the single greatest threat to Earth. As a result, there are a series of catastrophic consequences ranging from lack of fresh water, exhaustion of natural resources, availability of land, global warming, environmental degradation, food security, more intensive farming practices and species extinction. With this rapid population growth, the pressure would be placed on energy supply, the climate, land use, food production, and infrastructure. As engineers in society, we have the challenge of developing solutions and mitigation methods to combat these adverse effects, in order to sustain the increasing demand of future generations.IntroductionIn 1962, the world’s population was approximately 3.15 billion people with the highest ever recorded growth rate to date of 2.1%. Presently, world population stands at 7.2 billion with a growth rate of 1.09%. In the year, 2050, statistics show the projected population is 9.8 billion. Although these statistics indicate a decrease in population growth, it is still at a rate in which the Earth cannot sustain. Overpopulation is an undesirable condition where the number of existing human population exceeds the carrying capacity of Earth. As result, overpopulation has become a global issue in which various consequences are taking effect, that need to be rectified to maintain an acceptable quality of life for all. Some of these consequences will be addressed, through the perspective of a civil engineer.

Section 1- Consequences, Role of Engineers

While the Earth is covered by 75% of water, 97% of that is oceans and seas and only 3% is freshwater. However, most of the freshwater available is inaccessible to human use. By the year 2030, it is estimated that human demand for freshwater will account for 70% of all available freshwater. Likewise, freshwater ecosystems would be almost depleted in order to sustain population needs. Thus, by 2050 freshwater resources are at risk of becoming endangered or on the verge of extinction.Similarly, there is the issue of exhaustion of natural resources to accommodate the growing population. Research has shown that more than 18 percent of the Amazon Rainforest has been cut down for the purpose of logging, cattle ranching and soy plantations. Due to the clearing of the land for these activities large quantities of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is emitted into the atmosphere contributing to global warming.

Another example, is the over exploration and production of oil and natural gas throughout the world to supply power to countries. The processes involved in the exploration and production, further contribute to greenhouses gases in the atmosphere. Hence, consumption of the resources is at faster rate than the planet is able to replenish them.

Even though the population is ever growing the size of the earth remains the same. However, more land is needed for infrastructure, roadways and farming. With respect to infrastructure, houses, buildings, schools, hospitals has to be developed to support one’s economy. In the context of food more intensive farming practices has to be implemented to help feed a booming population. These farming techniques requires large amounts of land to cultivate crops especially on a commercial scale. Likewise extensive clearing of land would increase habit loss of species. Statistics state that in a few decades that at least half of the animal and plant population would become extinct because of habit loss and the aforementioned over exploration of natural resources as well as global warming. Imagine a world without engineers? Would that society exist or furthermore how would that society exist?

The term ‘engineer’ was derived from an 11th century Latin word ingeniator, which means the ingenious one. Engineering is a key aspect that molds society into what it is presently. Engineers have the responsibility of developing innovations and inventions to improve the way we live and work. There a various types of engineering including; civil, electrical, mechanical and chemical just to name a few.In comparison to the other engineering fields mentioned, civil engineering is divided into the most sub-disciplines including; environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, water resources, materials, coastal and construction to name a few. By the year 2050, civil engineers ideally incorporation with the other various engineering fields have the duty of devising options to mitigate the adverse effects faced by overpopulation.

Section 2- Solutions, Opinion and Suggestions

In the coming decades, the world will need more food, therefore cities may require to grow their own food. Subsequently, this would create much needed green areas in cities. Two major options emerged to accommodate high-powered urban farming are; vertical and rooftop farms. Vertical farms are typically hydroponic farms located inside of a multi-story building, a concept brought about by health professor Dickson Despommier. Fortunately, rooftops have already been integrated into apartments around the world, and as such the design has been altered into farming pods. These pods integrate with the housing beneath for the improvement of indoor air quality, waste water treatment and temperature regulation. This solution would help reduce the amount of land needed to be cleared for commercial scale farming while still being able to feed the masses. Another solution is the use of green buildings which are buildings that in their design, construction or operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate and natural environment. These buildings preserve precious natural resources by moving air and regulating temperature passively and even generates its own power. Green buildings can range from houses, offices, schools, hospitals and even community centers.

There is also the option of water desalination, where research has shown human access to freshwater is limited and with the growing population the water demand will increase. Water desalination plants remove the saline, minerals and impurities of water for the purposes of farming and drinking etc. With this being done, the availability of fresh water supply would readily increase, whereby supplying the demand needed by the population for various uses. While those are the technological options mentioned above there are also the social solutions to reducing overpopulation including; family planning, wide spread awareness of contraceptives and knowledge of sex education. This solution presents more of a biological stance as it relates to managing population growth. It can be suggested that family planning encourage person to start families at a later age, in hopes of reducing the number of children per family. The introduction of the one-child legislation in China is also an incentive utilized in the effort to lower population growth. These solutions are all inter-related as they seek to lower the birth rate within a country and thus by extension, worldwide. In one’s opinion engineering cannot solve overpopulation but it can help to mitigate the consequences of it. Engineers are not able to directly or indirectly slow population growth, but adapt to the changes by applying science and technology to maintain living standards in societies. One can suggest the construction of biomass plants. As the population rises the waste per capita will increase significantly. Proper waste disposal methods would be required to facilitate waste generation. Hence, biomass plants are a feasible option because it uses municipal solid waste to generate electricity and heat. Rather than conventional methods, which incorporates the burning of fossil fuels in turn contributing to greenhouse gas emissions into the air. Furthermore, existing building codes and methods of construction would have to be revamped. Instead of construction horizontally, vertical construction would save on land space for other activities. For these construction activities, the renewed approach for development of eco-friendly construction material using industrial waste is proving to be a potential sustainable source. Some of these eco-friendly materials include; fly-ash, gypsum, red mud, crum rubber and paper pulp. In addition, materials would need to have a higher strength to support this venture. Infrastructures built vertically would require a more structurally sound design compared to those built horizontally. As a future civil engineer of this ever evolving society, it is necessary to have the skills needed to bring about new innovations and inventions to deal with issues of overpopulation. It is the hope that one would have the responsibility of creating sustainable environments whilst improving the quality of life. Subsequently, these solutions devised need to work hand in hand with other fields of engineering to accomplish tasks. While accomplishing said solutions for mitigating the consequences of overpopulation it is the aim that the following engineering goals are met in the process. These engineering goals are key aspects for coping for future development. These goals include using existing sustainable technologies and reducing energy waste, replenishing groundwater resources and improving storage of excess water, as well as increasing efficiency of desalination plants.

Conclusion

In conclusion, one is of the opinion that overpopulation is more of a social issue rather than a technological. At this current growth rate, the world would not be able to adequately sustain itself and its people. We believe that overpopulation would remedy itself further contributing to the steadily decreasing growth rate. Due to a larger number of persons within the same size land space, it would become a breeding ground for new diseases. This is turn would increase mortality ratings while lowering life expectancy. These pandemics have the potential of being so incredibly disastrous, that the world would once again be able to sustain itself and its people. With that being said, civil engineering and engineering on the whole would play more of a secondary role in curbing overpopulation. The aforementioned solutions reiterate that engineering only has the potential to mitigate this issue rather than solve it.