What is the approximate current human global population?
7 billion
How many people are being added to the population each second and annually?
2.5 people every second. 80 million annually
Why has the human population continued to grow in spite of environmental limitations?
Technological increases and increased sanitation and medical care have led to a decline in death rates
Explain the IPAT model
Impact=Population x Affluence x Technology. The higher the population, affluence, and technology, the bigger the impact on the environment is
How can technology either increase or decrease environmental impact?
Technology can enhance our ability to exploit minerals, fossil fuels, old-growth forests, or ocean fisheries, but it can also reduce smoke-stack emissions, harness renewable energy, or improve manufacturing efficiency
What is total fertility rate (TFR)?
The average number of children born per female member of a population during her lifetime
Explain why the replacement fertility for humans is approximately 2.1
TFR for humans has decreased because of improved medical care and urbanization
How is Europe's TFR affecting its natural rate of population change?
The rate of population change is decreasing and the population is also decreasing
How does the demographic transition model explain the increase in population growth rates in recent centuries?
Population growth is viewed as a temporary phenomenon that occurs as societies more from pre-industrial to industrial and post-industrial
How does the demographic transition model explain the decrease in population growth rates in recent decades?
Industrialization rates causes rates to fall naturally by first decreasing mortality and then lessening the need for large families
Why are the empowerment of women and the pursuit of gender equality viewed as being important to controlling population growth?
Many pregnancies are unintended in countries where women have little power
Describe the aim of family-planning programs?
Lower population growth rates by planning how many kids each woman will have
Why do poorer societies have higher population growth rates than do wealthier societies?
Poorer nations tend to have higher fertility rates, birth rates, and infant mortality rates, along with lower rates of contraceptive use
How does poverty affect the environment?
Poverty results in environmental degradation because of the dependence on agriculture in areas with poor farmland
How does affluence affect the environment?
People with more money have higher ecological footprints and higher consumption rates