Population, Urbanism & the
Environment
1
World population
Currently
–6.2 Billion
 Most of human history the
population of the entire earth was
500 Million (1/2 billion)

2
Demographic terms
Fertility
–Amount of childbearing in a
population
–Several measurements of this
 Crude birth rate
–Live births per 1,000 people each
year

3
Demographic terms (Cont.)
Fecundity rate
–Maximum possible childbearing
 Sex Ratio
–Males for every 100 females

4
Concepts
Pop. doubling time
–Rule of 70
• Growth rate divided into 70
 Age-sex pyramids

5
Malthusian theory
Food increasing arithmetically
 Pop. Increasing geometrically
 Result : People reproducing
beyond what the planet can support

6
Neo-malthusians
Agree with Malthus and the
“Limits to growth” thesis
 Out-stripping resources
 Poisoning the planet

7
Anti-malthusians
6X more people on earth
 Living longer, healthier lives

8
Demographic Transition Theory

Population patterns reflect a
society’s level of technological
development
9
Zero Population growth (ZPG)
Two people produce two people
 Maintains population at a steady
state

10
Urbanism

Durkheim
–Mechanical solidarity
• People bound by similarities
–Organic solidarity
• People bound by differences
11
Environment (summary)
Acid rain
 Global warming

12
Acid rain

Sulfur dioxide
13
Global warming
Average temperature of the planet
is rising
 Northwest passage (over Canada
and Alaska) may soon be a passage
for ships
 Carbon dioxide

14