A Vicious Carbon Cycle
Over industrialization has led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) and Methane, which traps heat in the atmosphere and leads to global warming. This has resulted in a range of impacts on the climate, including rising sea levels, more frequent and severe natural disasters, and changes in weather patterns. These changes have significant effects on human populations, including the displacement of people due to climate-related events, which can lead to unexpected population migratory patterns creating what are termed climate refugees.
Climate refugees are forced to leave their homes due to climate-related events such as droughts, floods, and other natural disasters. This can occur when their homes become uninhabitable because of climate change, or when they are forced to flee due to conflict or instability caused by climate change.
As populations grow, industrialization also tends to increase, which exacerbates the impacts of climate change. More people require more resources and energy, which often leads to increased industrialization and a corresponding increase in greenhouse gas emissions, creating a feedback loop in which climate change worsens, leading to more displacement and migration of people.
Overall, the effects of over industrialization on climate change and growing populations have significant implications for climate refugees. As the climate continues to change, we can expect to see more people displaced from their homes because of global warming, leading to an increased need for policies and programs to support and protect these vulnerable populations, however these large movements of migrants to bordering countries are often not welcomed, sometimes labeled caravans and met with extreme resistance,
Population growth is projected to continue through 2100, with the global population estimated to reach 10.9 billion by the end of the century. The rate of population growth is expected to slow down significantly with some predictions that it might plateau leading to worker shortages, but a population of over 10 billion will still have a significant impact on the environment and the global economy. Some economist caution that a population of 10 billion might exceed the theoretical carrying capacity of Earth
The 18th century philosopher Thomas Malthus wrote these ominous words in an essay on what he saw as the dire future of humanity. Humans' unquenchable urge to reproduce, Malthus argued, would ultimately lead us to overpopulate the planet, eat up all its resources and die in a mass famine.
Majority of scientists think Earth has a maximum carrying capacity of 9 billion to 10 billion people.
This last year 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the Club of Rome’s landmark report, ‘The Limits to Growth’. Published in March 1972 – was the first to model our planet’s interconnected systems and to make clear that if growth trends in population, industrialization, resource use and pollution continued unchanged, we will reach and then overshoot the carrying capacity of the Earth at some point in the next one hundred years.
Industrialization is also expected to continue, especially in developing countries. The demand for resources and energy will continue to grow as more people enter the middle class and demand higher standards of living. This will lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts.
While it's difficult to predict the exact effects of industrialization and population growth on climate change, it's clear that these trends will have significant implications for the environment and human societies. It's important that we take action to reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate the effects of climate change to ensure a sustainable future for all.
Harvard University sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson bases his estimate on calculations of the Earth's available resources. As Wilson pointed out in his book "The Future of Life" (Knopf, 2002), "The constraints of the biosphere are fixed, well sort of because recently its thought that Climate Change can actually lower this carrying capacity by reducing the amount of habitable area for populations
Case Study Sothern Border USA 202x
The relationship between industrialization, population growth, and climate change can have indirect effects on migration patterns across the US southern border. Climate change can exacerbate existing social, economic, and political factors that contribute to migration.
For example, climate change can lead to droughts, flooding, and other extreme weather events that can have a devastating impact on agricultural production and rural livelihoods in countries that supply migrants to the US. This can contribute to the economic and political instability in these regions, leading to increased migration to other areas in search of work and better living conditions.
In addition, industrialization and population growth can have indirect effects on migration patterns by altering social and economic conditions in countries of origin. For example, rapid urbanization and industrialization can lead to environmental degradation, displacement of indigenous communities, and unequal distribution of wealth and resources. This can contribute to social and economic instability, leading to increased migration to other areas, including across the US southern border.
Border Resistance and the Far-Right war on Women
Pandemic Baby Bust
Some Economists predicted that coming out of the pandemic would lead to a baby boom instead in 2021 the population dropped significantly, and this seemed to be happening not only in the US but across the world even highly populated countries like India saw population decline. Much of this can be attributed to economic hardship large numbers of the middle class came out of the pandemic worse off and this is somewhat truer in other parts of the world then the US where the current administration took much criticized steps to ease the economic hardship, in many ways conservative republicans were hurting themselves attacking the American Rescue Plan because economic hardship makes it harder for families to support children
A continuing trend in the United States
. Conservatives are panicking about the declining birthrate and the impact it could have on conservative values advances in gender equity and access to educational and employment opportunities, often lead young people to postpone marriage and have fewer children. Easily available contraception is also helping teens avoid unwanted pregnancies
Overall, the white population in the US fell by 8.6% since 2010, the Census bureau finds non-Hispanic whites now account for around 58% of America’s population, a drop from 2010 when they made up 63.7% of the population. It was the first time that the non-Hispanic white population has fallen below 60% since the census began.
Meanwhile, there was significant growth among minority groups over the last decade. The Hispanic or Latino population grew by 23%, while the Asian population surged by over 35%. The Black population also increased by more than 5.6%. The US population is much more multiracial and much more racially and ethnically diverse, if trend continue the white population would become a minority by 2045
This is not new information the trend towards the non-Hispanic white population becoming the minority has been known for more than a couple decades the right-wing has been preparing for it for just as long however the previous census data had shown that this decrease would not be seen in the data until after 2024 so the decline in the 2020 Census was a bit of a surprise at this rate 2045 might be optimistic for those who want to head off such demographic change.
Obviously, conservatives decided one contributing factor is immigration which they see as out of control hence the increase of aggressive actions by Red States to curtail the influx of immigrants, these policies are abusive and can be labeled human rights abuses i.e. the child separation policies of the previous administration, but how do you stop populations so desperate due to the worsening economic conditions in their countries they are willing to risk their very lives and that of their children , A girl born in one of these countries is liable to be sold into sex trafficking at an early age and young men forced into militant groups or pressed into hard labor at the same time over industrialization, the stripping of forests is bringing more disease, and changing climate conditions reducing areas suitable for habitation. It’s no wonder families will risk crossing the border only to be met with extreme resistance on the other side.
At least that’s the official story because many of these migrants are also needed for cheap farm and meat packing labor, and undocumented workers are less likely to complain about wages and working conditions. But you can’t have it both ways and anti-immigration policies affect the work force.
You can’t have strict policies against immigration and decreasing population growth, The U.S. population grew at the slowest pace in history in 2021, 2010s were already demographically stagnant; every year from 2011 to 2017, the U.S. grew by only 2 million people. In 2020, the U.S. grew by just 1.1 million. In 2021, it added only 393,000 people, we don’t have 2022 data yet, but it will be likely lower, part of this can be attributed to The Coronavirus pandemic which resulted in high mortality of more than one million Americans, and there were sharp drops in births during this period too but crackdown on immigration played a significant role in the decrease population growth. Also, the trend among woman had already been towards smaller families and this did not change as the pandemic abetted a bit. The largest such group urban women with some college education.
So Anglo-Saxon populations are declining and that is not a US phenomenon but a world situation. But let’s stay with the US.
Deliberate lower immigration, Declining birth rates with the biggest drop being among white American women especially young white women who seek careers rather than families.
Roe vs Wade Unshackled women from childbirth and gave women more choices it’s no wonder that the far right aided by powerful evangelical groups and the Catholic church made judges a priority, they knew they couldn’t overturn reproductive rights through the electoral process, so they used money and influence to get their judges on the powerful courts and it worked resulting in the Dobbs decision. But Dobbs wouldn’t go far enough hence the attacks on Abortion medications, contraceptives and calls for nationwide bans. Essentially, they want women out of the workforce and back into the traditional role of having children thus averting what they see as a coming demographic disaster.
At the same time conditions continue to deteriorate in South American Countries creating an impossible situation for those trying to stem the flow , Border walls are not going to stop hungry desperate people