**Human overpopulation is among the most pressing environmental issues, it is a silent force behind global warming, pollution and the consumption of limited natural resources.** According to this [article](https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-25/population-growth-world-overshoot-day/11320990), the number of humans Earth can sustain long term is around 1.9 billion people, which was roughly the global population 100 years ago in 1919. Ultimately, human activities are causing climate change and as the population increases, so do the effects of climate change; according to the [Centre for Biological Diversity](https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/climate/index.html) “the largest single threat to the ecology and biodiversity of the planet in the decades to come will be global climate disruption” and while we are slowly addressing the issues “unsustainable human population growth can overwhelm those efforts, leading us to conclude that we not only need smaller footprints, but fewer feet”. Moreover, this [article](https://www.everythingconnects.org/overpopulation-effects.html) also highlights the effects overpopulation is having on natural resources. For example, it is predicted that by 2025 more than half of the world’s population will be facing water-based vulnerability and human demand for water will account for 70% of all available freshwater. Moreover, overpopulation is causing the greatest mass extinction of species since the extinction of the dinosaurs; we are losing 20,000 species per year or 3 species per hour, further demonstrating how human overpopulation is a serious issue in today’s world.

**Over-consumption and over-consumerism is a more pressing environmental issue than over population** - ["15% of UK travellers take 70% of all flights."](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51906530) - ["a fifth of UK citizens are in the top 5% of global energy consumers, along with 40% of German citizens, and Luxembourg’s entire population whereas only 2% of Chinese people are in the top global 5% of users, and just 0.02% of people in India."](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51906530) - ["The wealthiest 1% of the world’s population were responsible for the emission of more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorer half of the world from 1990 to 2015"](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/21/worlds-richest-1-cause-double-co2-emissions-of-poorest-50-says-oxfam) - ["Carbon dioxide emissions rose by 60% over the 25-year period, but the increase in emissions from the richest 1% was three times greater than the increase in emissions from the poorest half."](https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/carbon-emissions-richest-1-percent-more-double-emissions-poorest-half-humanity) - From this it is clear that it is the excess consumerism and consumption that uses disproportionately large amounts of resources leading to a wealth of issues, therefore wealth inequality is a larger issue than overpopulation - There is [enough resources for everyone in the world](https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2015/04/28/can-10-billion-people-live-and-eat-well-on-the-planet-yes/) but they are unevenly distributed and certain areas are much more highly populated and strained than others - Although many concerns about ["Overpopulation" could be reduced/ birth rates could be lowered by working to increase women's rights as evidence shows that when women's rights increase birth rates drop](https://worldpopulationhistory.org/womens-status-and-fertility-rates/)

**Overpopulation should not necessarily be celebrated, but from an environmental perspective, the majority of blame should be placed elsewhere.** * When talking about climate change, it won’t get *better* with more people, but so often the blame is placed on the everyday consumer when companies such as [Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, and ExxonMobil](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions) have produced over 40 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent since 1965. I absolutely think the average consumer should attempt (within their ability) to consume ethically, but even [natural resources are so unevenly divided](https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2020/07/21/487787/the-nature-gap/) that it can be hard to do so. * Overpopulation should not be a cause for celebration, and I think it could eventually be mitigated through things such as improving women’s rights (as mentioned before me), working toward income equality, and funding childcare/fostering/adoption/sex education programs. * Mainly, before placing too much blame on overpopulation, we need to be holding the top polluters of this earth more accountable for their actions.

More population means more workforce.