Human Population

To me, it seems as though population is difficult to talk about purely scientifically. While there are many studies and books filled with statistics about it all, as humans I think it is more difficult for us to remove ethics from the discussion of population, with human populations being the touchiest of them all.

I think that it is important to recognize the ethical limitations of population, particularly when it comes to means of controlling the numbers of the human race. However, I also think that it is equally important to consider the purely scientific portion of the raw facts. These are just as important when we are considering the topic of human population. The earth's carrying capacity is not going to take ethics into consideration, which is why we need to make sure we also know the facts that go along with it.

The trouble with containing a population is that it would mean adding new laws and restrictions on people, and taking away freedoms and opportunities that they used to have. It is very difficult to decrease the amount of freedoms given to a people, as they become accustomed to their way of life. It is easier to limit something from the very beginning than to allow it and then turn around and try to take it away later. This is one of the reasons it is so difficult to come up with ways to limit the population, since we have already passed the point of making such decisions.

However, it is also important to note that in nature, these sorts of things aren't necessarily a problem, because animals do not have a code of ethics among one another, and in general, animals only take the resources that they need. This is another trouble spot for human population, because many of us are used to living a lifestyle that requires more of the earth than our share. Again, it is hard to take away such freedoms when they have already been allowed. These are all of the things that come to mind for me when I think of human population.

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