Beyond Malthus: Nineteen Dimensions of the Population Challenge

by Brian Halweil, Gary T. Gardner, Lester R. Brown

Book Overview

Human demands are pressing up against more and more of the Earth's limits. This book from the Worldwatch Institute examines the impacts of population growth on global resources and services, including food, fresh water, fisheries, jobs, education, income, and health. Despite the current hype of a -birth dearth- in parts of Europe and Japan, the fact remains that human numbers are projected to increase by over 3 billion by 2050. Rapidly growing...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393319067
• ISBN13: 9780393319064
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 170 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Review on "Beyond Malthus"

This book is a great book that brings to light some of the problems the world currently faces. During the last half century the world population has more then doubled, climbing from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 5.9 billion in 1998. Malthus foresaw food shortages and famine because of the massive increase in population growth. The rise in the worldwide population accompanied with consumption is pushing the planets beyond its natural limits.Throughout this book nineteen main environmental issues are addressed. I decided to focus on three main topics, that I feel are the most important; they are fresh water, biodiversity, and waste. Evidence of water stress is seen all over the world. According to Brown there will be scarcely one fourth as much fresh water per person in 2050 as there was in 1950. Worldwide, some 70 percent of the water pumped from underground wells or diverted from rivers is used for irragation, 20 percent is used for industrial purposes, and 10 percent for residental use. As population keeps growing more water is being diverted to urban areas, this is the same water that is usually used for irrigation. The main point being addressed is that the shortage of water means the decrease in food being produced.The next topic covered in the book is biodiversity. As human populations keep growing other species are affected, some to the point of extinction. According to Brown the major source of species loss is habitat alteration, invasion by exotic species, pollution, and over hunting. As populations keep growing more people are forced into undeveloped areas that our host to many different species. This is where over hunting comes into play. People have to eat, or make a living selling skins or other animal parts. This problem is the greatest in underdeveloped countries where there are little or no conservation laws.The last topic addressed is waste control. With a constant increase in population, the flow of waste products into landfills and waterways is increasing. Municipal waste is a major source of this problem. On average 824 million tons of waste are produced in developing countries each year. With an increase in population growth this number will rise to 1.4 billion in 2050. It is suggested that government agencies have to step in order to regulate this problem. Finding new ways to dispose of waste have to be discovered in order for the world to live with less disease.Overall I felt this book was very informative about some of the problems of the world. I wish there were more solutions for what needs to be done in order to solve these problems. I think more education needs to be conducted in developing countries to reduce birth rates. According to Brown the current fertility rate in Pakistan is six children per woman and nearly seven in Ethiopia. These numbers have to be lowered in order for these countries to sustain a reasonable standard of living.

The Sad Truth Behind Population Surge

This is a well-written and intriguing book by Lester Brown in regards to the growing population problems that this planet faces. The world population has more than doubled in the past 50 years leading to increased concerns over the availability of resources to the people of this world. As the population continues to rapidly climb, the rate of consumption too is on an upward swing, leading to added problems with the lack of resources. Brown looks at a multitude of areas where this continued increase in population will hurt the world population and make it challenge for future generations to cope with the possibility of scarce resources due to the consumption of today.I picked three main areas of concern that Brown touched upon that I thought were the most important to reveal and were also relevant to the Environmental Resource Management class that I am currently in. First, is the fresh water supply. Of course as the population grows, the amount of fresh water allocated per person will decrease. According to Brown, "the amount of water available per person will fall by 73 percent between 1950 and 2050." Currently in our ERM class we are talking about the potential dangers of a shrinking water supply and the falling of water tables as fresh water continues to be consumed at large rates. Brown alerts his readers of a scary proposition facing the decreasing water supply, "They will have to reduce the water use in agriculture in order to satisfy residential and industrial water needs."Second, protected natural areas are highlighted. Over the past 50 years, the great population growth has made it difficult to set aside and conserve natural areas. "National parks, forests, wildlife preserves, beaches, and other protected areas offer sanctuary to various habitats and indigenous communities." But, these areas also offer something that may be of even far greater importance: resources, especially in a world where competition for such resources (land and trees specifically) continue to grow every year. "Migration-driven population growth also endangers wilderness areas in many industrial nations. Everglades National Park, for example, faces collapse as millions of newcomers move into South Florida."Finally, the issue of waste is a concern for a growing world population. Garbage, sewage, and industrial waste are all problematic areas, even where population is largely stable. But, as population numbers, and most importantly, consumption numbers increase over the coming years, the issue of waste will take on even greater priority. More and more dumps and landfills will need to be found, however, that may not be the safest thing for the water supply, as pollutants are leaked into the ground water and neighbors of landfills would be harmed. Also, additional special disposal facilities will need to be created for any industrial waste that is generated.All in all, this book really opened my eyes as to the serious problems that the Earth faces in dealing with increa

My review of Malthus

The descriptions of overpopulation in this book are great. Malthus has excellent suggestions for solving problems like these. He also talks about climate control, poverty, and famine because of overpopulation. I believe that Malthus is an extraordinary philosopher. I suggest this book for anyone interested in worldly affairs that could be problems in the future.