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OVERT-POPULATION

The math behind the misconception

By JD ClairPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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OVERT-POPULATION
Photo by willis henderson on Unsplash

The world is not ending... At least not yet. Television, radio, and movies continuously hammer in the notion that space is limited and resources are scarce. Platitudes sang over and over about how we want to end world hunger with no method or procedure to achieve what seems like the impossible goal. There is a solution and it's far simpler than anyone cares to consider. Hope requires effort. We have to do it ourselves.

Let us first discuss overpopulation. It is estimated that over 7.2 billion people are alive in the world right now. When we look at the density of cities and the arrangement of cube stacked on cube in high-rise apartments, it can feel as though all space has been depleted and we will soon suffocate under the weight of our own waste. However, just outside the city and the suburbs lays near endless land to explore and inhabit. Easy enough to say, sure, but let's take a look at the math and possibilities.

Texas is 7,494,271,488,000 square feet. The number is almost too perfect for my considering the world population. This means that if ever person alive across the entire face of the earth was put in Texas, they'd each have 1,000 square feet just for themselves. A family of four would have 4,000 square feet, and so on. Imagine what we could do if we spread out a bit more. Each household could be 2,000 square feet on the base level, and the additional 2,000 square feet could be used for growing crops. Or, if no one wants to use their personal space for agriculture, the entire remainder of the world still exists to plant farms and pull resources from.

This is not a plea to have everyone move to Texas, though that would be cool, but just a concept oversimplified to show how much space we actually take up globally.

By Gozha Net on Unsplash

The next and possibly more critical concern is that of worldwide hunger. As mentioned, if everyone was given sufficient land space they could grow and harvest food on their own. While not all land has fertile soil, by far and wide margins, enough land does exist for everyone to be able to produce a lifetime of food for themselves. Our biggest conflict is that we rely on supply chains to produce and deliver the food for us, especially in the west. This amounts to an annual waste of over 72 billion pounds of food every year. That's an incredible amount that could better be sourced out to those in need. The problem is the logistics, not in the ability to produce. If we find ways to eat more local produce, and ensure each community has access to fertile soil, whether in colder climates or in the heat of the sandy deserts. Even if we resorted solely to community gardens rather than personal, no one would have to go hungry. There can be leaders or caretakers overseeing the production and ensure the well being of the crops. Establishing these centers would be costly, but effective and renewable. More importantly, do-able.

By www.zanda. photography on Unsplash

The takeaway from this is that we have an opportunity to do more. Our biggest failure as a society isn't overproduction, but waste. This falls on the hands of ever person who lives in comfort and simple luxuries. It is every bit as much my fault as it is the millionaire living in the penthouse in a New York City high-rise. There is land to be tended. There is work to be done. Not for less people, but for more. A hill to grow on.

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

JD Clair

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