Issues of the Past Present and Future
This has been another day spent studying yet again. Here is a blip of a paper I wrote for my peace studies class. The rest of the paper was really specific to the reading so I decided just to post this much.
Overpopulation, poverty and environmental destruction affect and influence each others existence. In many societies most of the wealth is held by the few and the rest of the people live in the middle and lower poverty stricken classes. Overpopulation puts a strain on resources which further perpetuates both poverty and environmental decay. People who live in poverty are the ones who are mostly affected by environmental destruction because they are forced to survive within it, for they are dependent on it. When resources become scarce more destruction and violence to the land is required to attain them. Take the rainforest's for an example. The poor farmers who are cutting the rain forest down are doing so because they are dependent on fresh land to grow food. The crops they use to sustain their lives strip the soil of its fertility leading to desertification. When this happens they are forced to cut down more forest to attain fertile soil again. When these poor farmers are also facing overpopulation this process happens at an even faster rate. Its a perpetuating cycle that can only be broken with a global redistribution of wealth and resources.
John Nash's theory of equilibrium shows us that if every individual did what was good for the group, everyone would be more prosperous. Where as if individuals only do what is in their own best interests the group can suffer for the possible benefit of that individual. This is similar to a concept offered by Lao Tzu. In Taoism it is held that the earth has everything humanity could ever need, if everyone only takes what they need to sustain themselves. The problem is then that some people or groups of people hoard resources and control them. This causes other people to fall into poverty because they do not have access to those resources. In the long run this causes what is called the tragedy of the commons. The commons represent resources that everyone needs. The tragedy is that a few people will overuse these resources above sustainable levels and therefore ruin them for everyone. This destroys the environment from which resources are obtained and forces the majority to live in poverty. Poverty further destroys the environment and the cycle continues... until...
Overpopulation, poverty and environmental destruction affect and influence each others existence. In many societies most of the wealth is held by the few and the rest of the people live in the middle and lower poverty stricken classes. Overpopulation puts a strain on resources which further perpetuates both poverty and environmental decay. People who live in poverty are the ones who are mostly affected by environmental destruction because they are forced to survive within it, for they are dependent on it. When resources become scarce more destruction and violence to the land is required to attain them. Take the rainforest's for an example. The poor farmers who are cutting the rain forest down are doing so because they are dependent on fresh land to grow food. The crops they use to sustain their lives strip the soil of its fertility leading to desertification. When this happens they are forced to cut down more forest to attain fertile soil again. When these poor farmers are also facing overpopulation this process happens at an even faster rate. Its a perpetuating cycle that can only be broken with a global redistribution of wealth and resources.
John Nash's theory of equilibrium shows us that if every individual did what was good for the group, everyone would be more prosperous. Where as if individuals only do what is in their own best interests the group can suffer for the possible benefit of that individual. This is similar to a concept offered by Lao Tzu. In Taoism it is held that the earth has everything humanity could ever need, if everyone only takes what they need to sustain themselves. The problem is then that some people or groups of people hoard resources and control them. This causes other people to fall into poverty because they do not have access to those resources. In the long run this causes what is called the tragedy of the commons. The commons represent resources that everyone needs. The tragedy is that a few people will overuse these resources above sustainable levels and therefore ruin them for everyone. This destroys the environment from which resources are obtained and forces the majority to live in poverty. Poverty further destroys the environment and the cycle continues... until...