TEDtalk "Box by Box"

In this TEDtalk video the speaker, Hans Rosling elaborates on the dangers and solutions of population growth using boxes. This simple utilization of boxes gave me true insight on what can really be done to combat population growth. As he explained in the video, the main factors contributing to dramatic growth is the gap between developing countries and developed countries as well as child mortality rates around the world. If we can combat these two facets of drastic growth then we will be able to stop the world’s detrimental expansion. But we can only do this if members of the world work together. The United States as a developed country needs to help lead the way and foster other countries development. We need to send supplies such as medicine and vaccines that will help young children in developing countries survive. Like Mr. Rosling said, developed countries like America need to serve as a base, and with only a strong foundation can the world begin to bridge the gaps.

Funky six legged Freaks

“The funky bug population of San Francisco”

http://www.whec.com/article/stories/S2825546.shtml?cat=565

November 6, 2012

San Francisco’s bug population is as diverse and colorful as the people that live there. Although the insect population is fairly steady, I believe it does cover the topic of population diversity. Amidst San Francisco’s lawns, bushes, and trees is a myriad of bugs that have a variety of colors and adaptations. The velvet ant is a species that lives in San Francisco. This “ant” which is actually a wasp looks like it is wearing a shag carpet. Other species include the Buckeye Butterfly whose wings have a mixture other colors that culminate to create a psychedelic motif. These bugs may not be breeding rapidly and threatening San Francisco’s environment with drastic growth, but they do attribute to the city’s overall biodiversity.

Cat Trouble in Toronto

“Toronto’s cat population booming”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/11/02/toronto-cat-population.html

November 3, 2012

A recent warm spring in Toronto has encouraged a drastic increase in the cat population. Toronto has as many as 300,000 wild cats that roam their streets, but the recent warm weather revealed a total influx of new kittens that were admitted into shelters all over the city. Bceuase of that recent increase shelters have reached full capacity and now programs have even been implemented to trap, spay and neuter feral cats. The volunteer run program has a trap and release approach, but upon spaying and neutering the cats they have seen a 32% decrease in the cat population. The city of Toronto knows that they cannot completely rid their streets of the felines but the new programs have proved to be formidable and have dramatically hindered cat population increase. This actually seems very reminiscent of a certain policy in China. The people act as the government and the cats act as the people. Although the program actually takes physically takes away the cat’s ability to reproduce who says that China’s doing something different. They are just doing it mentally.

“Ireland experiences population growth”

http://thedailyshift.com/2012/11/28/ireland-experiences-population-growth/

November 28, 2012

This cartoon is stereotypical, but you get the point

 Since 2009 Ireland’s population has dramatically increased. Three major factors have significantly contributed to Ireland’s growth: more affordable housing, fewer jobs, and cheaper rents. The combination of these factors has fostered exponential growth within the country and now the economy has began to suffer. Due to the recent and dramatic growth there has been a lack of maternity wards for deliveries and hospitals are struggling to make room for soon to be mothers. It is estimated that over the next decade Ireland’s population with grow by ¼! Although this baby boom has hurt Ireland in the short-run, it actually has some long-term benefits. The upcoming generation will be able to support the older class and the Irish state will have an easier time funding its liabilities. The benefits will have to wait though, because the present crisis at hand is more prevalent than the future benefits. Ireland is now trying to find ways to accommodate the future generations. In my opinion it is now a race to see if the exponential growth completely devastates Ireland’s economy and environment before the new generation is able to create beneficial opportunities for Ireland, or will the country have to implement controversial policies such as China’s “One Child Policy” to limit population growth.

Life on a Lizard

China's Time Bomb

A)   I would encourage population growth in Japan with fertility treatments, enforcing healthier foods, and plans for larger infrastructures. I would also change advertising techniques to encourage the familiar “nuclear family”. I would not depict mothers as women confined to the household to do chores; I would portray them more as a role model.

      B)   I would offer financial incentives and open more and less expensive child care centers. I would also encourage scientist to work on fertility drugs and research.

      C)  To delay economy collapse with a baby bust I would encourage more marriages  and try to increase fertility rates, as well as lower healthcare and social security rates, because there will be too few workers to support the elderly. I could also loosen immigration policies so that more young people are allowed into the country to foster economic growth.

      D)   No, the government should not be able to force retirement when the overcrowding situation is dire. Abortion should be up to the mother and only up to a certain point in the pregnancy. If overcrowding becomes a prevalent issue the government should focus on expanding infrastructures and tighten certain policies such as immigration.

      E)  Yes, I believe the government should offer political asylum to Chinese women who wish to keep their babies. I believe this will greatly benefit China’s population problem and maybe in future years help lift China’s one child policy.  I would handle political implications by ensuring the people that the countries in which the pregnant Chinese women are moved to are safe, efficient and more importantly not overcrowded. 

   

Easter Island + New England= Earth

Though the locations of Easter Island and New England are very different their past history’s do have stunning similarities. Both locations’ landscapes changed dramatically overtime. In New England the plant community underwent a drastic cycle that encompassed the death and revival of numerous plants due to predators and even people. For example the goldenrod died and was revived several times because of human intervention and even the intervention of other plants. In Easter Island the plant life has been speculated on because it was decimated because settlers cleared land and trees to plant gardens, build canoes, homes and make fires.  Can we learn from not only the fate of Easter Island, but New England as well? My answer is yes! Earth’s landscape currently changes at a rapid pace. Every day we clear land for homes, parks, infrastructures, and stores. This alone is not completely terrible. As we can learn from the history of New England human intervention will not always destroy an ecosystem. Even though many of New England’s plants habitually died off, its ecosystem proved to be resilient and bounce back. But, an ecosystem will not always return to its prime if we are clearing more than the ecosystem can grow. As proven by the history of Easter Island we can destroy our ecosystem if we continue to ravage and demolish its content. Easter Island should serve as an example of Earth’s ecosystem on a smaller scale. We should learn not to completely leave our environment alone but to limit our intervention with the environment, because a healthy ecosystem has deaths. This does not mean that the ecosystem is dying, but it actually means that it is healthy.