Questions and Answers
What is the primary environmental problem caused by the increasing human population?
Higher resource consumption per person
Which country would likely be categorized as a moderately developed country based on the provided information?
Mexico
What is one of the defining characteristics of less developed countries mentioned in the text?
Low per person incomes
In which type of country do people consume more resources per person according to the text?
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Which country is an example of a rich or highly developed country as described in the text?
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What is the common characteristic of rich countries according to the provided information?
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What is the main factor that leads to the depletion of natural resources in rapidly growing populations?
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Which of the following statements about nonrenewable and renewable resources is true?
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What does the term "consumption overpopulation" refer to?
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Which of the following statements about highly developed nations is true, according to the text?
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What does the IPAT equation (I = P x A x T) represent?
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What does the term "sustainability" refer to, according to the text?
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Study Notes
Human Impacts on the Environment
- Human population has grown rapidly: 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1975, 5 billion in 1987, 6.8 billion in 2009, and 8 billion in 2023.
- Poverty is a condition in which people are unable to meet their basic needs, with nearly one in four people living in extreme poverty globally.
Country Classification
- Highly developed countries: complex industrialized bases, low population growth, and high per person incomes (e.g., Switzerland, Qatar, USA, Canada, and Japan).
- Moderately developed countries: medium levels of industrialization, lower per person incomes, and fewer opportunities for income, education, and health care (e.g., Turkey, South Africa, Thailand, and Mexico).
- Less developed countries: low levels of industrialization, high population growth, high infant mortality rates, and low per person incomes (e.g., Philippines, Bangladesh, Haiti, and Laos).
Population, Resources, and Environment
- Population growth and resource consumption can lead to environmental degradation.
- Highly developed countries consume more resources per person and impact the ecosystem at least as much as the population boom in other areas.
- Rapid population growth can overwhelm and deplete a country's natural resources.
Natural Resources
- Nonrenewable resources: limited supplies, depleted as used (e.g., minerals, fossil fuels).
- Renewable resources: replaced by natural processes, can be used forever if not overexploited (e.g., trees, fish, fresh water).
Overpopulation and Resource Consumption
- A country is overpopulated if demand on its resource base results in environmental damage.
- People overpopulation: too many people in a given geographic area.
- Consumption overpopulation: individuals consuming too large a share of resources.
Ecological Footprint
- Highly developed nations consume more than half of the world's resources, despite representing less than 20% of the population.
- They generate 75% of the world's pollution and waste.
- Ecological footprint: amount of productive land, fresh water, and ocean required to supply each person with necessities.
IPAT Equation
- I = P x A x T estimates human impacts on the environment.
- P: number of people.
- A: affluence per person, measuring consumption or resources used per person.
- T: environmental effects of technologies used to obtain and consume resources.
- The three factors are always changing in relation to each other.
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