Causes of Overpopulation
There are three main causes to overpopulation. The first and second are linked to the advancement of medicine and public health, while the third is related to food distribution. Even though these are the main causes today, more causes can come about in the future.
First is the understanding of diseases and the use of medicine. Before the realization of the germ theory, many individuals did not know that diseases were spread through germs such as bacteria and viruses. With the adoption of these practices, humans were able to understand that germs caused these diseases and could be countered through practices such as medicine and vaccinations. With this new knowledge, death rates plummeted and new health practices relating to child birth helped improve birth rates.
Second is the vast improvement of public health. Public health refers to the acquisition of three basic needs humans need: food, shelter and water. For example, since the creation of plumbing, individuals have had the opportunity of accessing water. Another is the improvement of shelters which also allow humans to survive for longer periods. The last point brings us to our third cause.
Third is the improvement of food distribution. It is amazing to think that food can be transported all over the world and combined with preservation services, such as canned food, certain food can last forever. The improvement of food distribution had ended the worries of starvation in many regions of the world; however, certain regions (such as parts of Africa) still exhibit famines from the lack of food.