Food And Other Resources The Land example essay topic

Poverty has many causes, some of them very basic. Some experts suggest, for instance, that the world has too many people, too few jobs, and not enough food. But these basic causes are complex and not easily eradicated. In most cases, the causes and effects of poverty interact, so that what makes people poor also creates conditions that keep them poor. Primary factors that may lead to poverty include overpopulation; the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy; inability to meet high standards of living and costs of living; inadequate education and employment opportunities; environmental degradation; certain economic and demographic trends; and welfare incentives. Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too few resources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty.

It can result from high population density or from low amounts of resources, or from both. Excessively high population densities put stress on available resources. Only a certain number of people can be supported on a given area of land, and that number depends on how much food and other resources the land can provide. In countries where people live primarily by means of simple farming, gardening, herding, hunting, and gathering, even large areas of land can support only small numbers of people because these labor-intensive subsistence activities produce only small amounts of food However, as Americans developed the land and its resources, they sometimes created environmental problems. Humans have destroyed about twelve percent of the earth's terrestrial net primary productivity. Forests and natural grasslands began disappearing as early as colonial times, as settlers converted more and more wilderness into farmland.

The median population projection shows that the world population will reach 8.9 billion in 2030, and will level off at 11.5 billion in 2150. A growing population, and its demands for a convenient lifestyle, generates tremendous amounts of pollution and waste. In the last 30 years of the 20th century, however, Americans have become more aware of environmental problems and have begun programs to reduce pollution and conserve natural areas. People are also learning to recycle, to reuse resources, and to protect endangered species. The growing difference between the earnings of high-income and low-income workers near the end of the 20th century is a major cause of environment detrimental and poverty. It encourages over-consumption at the top of the income ladder and immovable poverty at the bottom.

From 1960 to 1989, families who make up the top 20 percent of income groups have seen their money income rise from 70.2 percent of the national income to 82.7 percent. Over the same period, families in the lowest 20 percent of income groups have experienced a decline from 2.3 percent of the national income to 1.4 percent..