In Class Assignment

Monica Cambi

Population growth is an expediting influence in the world especially in the United States. According to Leon Kolonklewicz, former alumni of British Columbia and marine biologist, population growth has sky rocketed due to increase of fertility rates in the 1970’s.[1] As a peace corp. participant he visited Honduras environment. Here he saw that a classroom held 50-70 bookless children[2]. Reason being for bookless children is because too much children means too much books to buy. In an economic struggle survival prevails over education. Evidence of economic struggle due to population growth is in the United States. Before 1970 the birth rate was approximately 2.1 but from 1970 to the present it overflowed[3]. The United States is known for its technological advances to accommodate large families. With more children comes the creation of more manufactured products and less money for parents. However, the populations of people in the United States contribute to the consumption of cars and other manufactured products that increase carbon levels. Kolonklewicz states that population and immigration brings a rise in consumption of technology. When the United States government allowed people to migrate to the country its population was a million larger. He also states that the U.S.A has increased 90 percent in population from 1970 to present time[4]. His belief is that global warming deals with population growth.
Leon uses the equation I=PAT to show how population influences the planet[5]. This equation stands for population times affluence times technology equals to world impact. Simply put population is the reason why global warming is rapidly increasing. With population carbon levels raise as a positive correlation. He references to Albert Gore in “An Inconvenient Truth” to exemplify the fact of carbon level increase. Similarly Mark Maslin, author of “Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction”, showed charts where carbon levels were increasing due to carbon level[6]. Like Leon I also believe and support the fact that population is a contribution of global warming. It may be of carbon levels like scientists have shown, but it depends on the number of people who use these items daily that increases carbon level.
[1] Kolonkiewicz, Leon. “Sprawl City” www.sprawlcity.org

[2] Kolonkiewicz, Leon. “Sprawl City” www.sprawlcity.org

[3] Kolonkiewicz, Leon. “Sprawl City” www.sprawlcity.org

[4] Kolonkiewicz, Leon. “Sprawl City” www.sprawlcity.org

[5] Kolonkiewicz, Leon. “Sprawl City” www.sprawlcity.org

[6] Maslin, Mark. Global Warming: A Very Short Story