Unit 4 Ethical issues essay

Unit 4 Ethical Issues Essay: Should Government Regulate who has children?

What strains the natural resources of the world? Is it large population growth or huge resource use by each individual? There have been many studies making important arguments for each side. Which side is right, maybe both side are right?
Many feel that the biggest strain on the world’s natural resources is large population growth. There are about 46 countries in the sub-Saharan Africa where the birth rate has remained high. On average women in these 46 countries are having more than 5 children each. Most of these people live in poverty, and do not have sufficient resources to support them. How ever, China has the lowest birth rate in the world and their natural increase is 10 million per year. Does cutting fertility rates really reduce the population of the world?
The amount of resources that are used by each individual is also of great concern to the strain of natural resources. The amount of energy consumption that a person uses in North America is equal to the amount of energy that 30 people use in East India, or more than 300 people in Ethiopia. It seems that the more developed a country becomes, couples choose to have less children, but they consume more energy than is needed to support their life.
Is there one answer to this question, or are both issues contributing to the strain of natural resources in the world? Most likely it is a combination of both. People need to control how many children they produce, and stick to having one or two at the most. It is also very important that they find ways to consume less energy and find ways to create more environmentally friendly energy like solar power. If everyone is educated and actively contributes to working on both of these issues then the strain on the world’s resources will lessen as time goes by.