There are now 5.8 billion human beings on the planet, and according to the U.N., the
population of earth is expected to grow to around 8.5 billion by 2050. In a world that
currently wrestles with such serious problems as global warming, the thinning of the ozone
layer, increasing crime rates, toxic chemicals in our food, and starvation in developing
nations, each of which is at least partially due to growing world population, it's hard to
imagine anyone opposing restraints on population controls. However, there are those that do.
Governments in developing countries see contraceptives as a "bad" solution rather than a
logical one. Overpopulation is like a big magnifying glass making little problems into big
ones. Overpopulation is destroying our environment, lowering our standard of living, and
generally degrading our quality of life.
Overpopulation occurs when there are so many individuals in an area that the
population must exist on their own resources. The resources necessary to their survival
become depleted at a rate faster than those resources can be replenished. The waste
generated by the population exceeds the ability to dispose of it faster than it is created. The
population of the United States will have increased from around 272 million currently to
around 276 million by the end of the year 2000, and to around 330 million by the end of
2025. All too often, however, the damage to the environment is simply moved into some
Experts support increased access to birth control information and contraceptives for
women in the developing world. They also think that sex education will reduce the number
of maternal and infant deaths, as well as the spread of AIDS. Some even believe that
planning efforts will help reduce the number of abortions performed in third world nations.
They believe that women with more choices will choose to have
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