The issue brought up in this case study is population and the rate at which it is increasing. With over 6 billion people inhabiting or planet today the population is spiraling out of control. The population growth is usually described by the growth rate and the fertility rate. The growth rate is calculated by the number born to the number of deaths per thousand. Fertility rate however is calculated by the number of children born to a single mother during her lifetime. Due to the Industrial Revolution there are many new advances so people are living longer than ever, and at the same time there have never been so many young people. Looking at the numbers I ask myself what is going to stop this ongoing problem. Will nature take its course once again?
             With the Industrial Revolution came the increase in per capita income and in life expectancy due to factory jobs, improved sanitation, clean drinking water, a reduction in disease due to improved health care, and eventually vaccines and antibiotics (33). At this time women were still bearing about six children because of the anticipation that not all would survive. With more children surviving the population was at serious risk of doubling every 20 years. It was only until later that most couples caught on and started to have fewer children.
             The majority of the population growth is occurring in the poorer countries due to the lack of education and resources. The depletion of natural resources is threatening the world with environmental disaster. And with an increasing population this is not helping. But Government officials and scientists from those poorer countries say it is the wealthier nations who are to blame if such disaster were to occur. With 25% of the world's population the North uses 80% of the resources; the United States alone, with 5% of the population, uses 30% of the resources. They argue that wealthier nations are over consuming and taking way more than their shar...