From Guest Blogger Laura Williamson: England’s Population Increase Is Causing Environmental Degradation
The need for clean energy came into existence when human beings realised the amount of damage that they have caused on the environment around the world. The fastest growing countries are the most environmentally damaged areas because of the increased number of population, and their desire to over-utilise all the available resources; degrading the quality of the environment, significantly.
Some facts about England:
- Population of the country- 66.57 Million
- Number of homes in the country- 184000+ (approximately)
- Number of cars in the country- 31.7 Million (approximately)
Environmental Degradation
The above three are the major driving forces of environmental degradation because of the following reasons:
- Pollution
It is quite obvious that as the population increases, the consumption of resources increases with it. The amount of pollution as well. The following are some types of pollution that are a direct result of population increase:
1. Air pollution
To cater to our demands, factories have to work more, which results in an increment in pollutant emissions. It degrades the quality of air that we breathe in, and more people equals more oxygen consumption & more carbon dioxide emissions.
2. Water pollution
The waste is often discharged in freshwater bodies around the area. More demand equals more waste, which means more discharge in the water bodies. More water is needed for consumption which equals to more water being processed to cater to this demand.
3. Soil pollution
Increase in the population increases the demand for food and other resources, which results in soil pollution.
- Land consumption
When the number of people increases, the number of houses increase with it, to provide accommodation to the population. Earlier, the number of completed houses in England were 175000, but as it is already mentioned above, the number has increased, remarkably. More houses mean more land, but because the land area is limited, it only means that everything green needs to turn grey. This also facilitates soil erosion and can be responsible for a variety of resource depletion activities like deforestation, wood and other raw materials required to build a house.
- Resources depletion
The most devastating effect of uncontrolled population increase is the fact that it depletes the resources before it can be regenerated. More fuel, more land, more wood, more food and everything more is required to meet the demands & needs of the population. We cannot even imagine what will happen if such important resources are finished all of a sudden.
What Needs To Be Done?
Sustainable practices are required to ensure the survival of our race because, at this rate, the time is near when the number of people in the country will exceed the number of demands that its resources can fulfill. England has taken measures to control its population by filing petitions to the Government, which incorporates strategies to encourage its people to take a stand in this race.
Other practices are as follows:
- Cleaning plays an important role when it comes to pollution control. People need to practice methods which are cost-effective and resource-effective.
- Waste disposal is one of the most overlooked practices, which requires the most focus because even if we practice efficient cleaning services, we still need to find a place to dispose of the waste. England needs to take proper care to ensure appropriate methods of waste disposal, which do not degrade environmental quality.
- It is inevitable to prevent people from using resources, but it is possible to regulate it, to ensure that it is not depleted before it can be regenerated.
Efficient and effective practices is all it takes to maintain optimum environmental status.
