EVR 1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Thomas Robert Malthus, World Health Organization, Modern Healthcare

• School: SCFMS, SCF
• Department: Environmental Studies
• Course: EVR 1001
• Professor: Tendro Tondrasoa

Document Summary

For most of our history, humans were not very numerous compared with other species. The agricultural revolution produced a larger and more secure food supply, thus allowing the population to grow. For thousands of years, the number increased very slowly, but rapidly began to increase after 1600 ad. Agricultural development, better sources of power and improved health care and hygiene also played a role. Population growth is the ultimate cause of poverty and environmental degradation; however, they are all symptoms of deeper social + political factors. The worldview we choose to believe will profoundly affect our approach to population issues. Thomas malthus - believed that population increased at an exponential rate. Wrote an essay on the principle of population. Thought that humans would outstrip their food supply and collapse into starvation, crime, and misery. Only social constraints (or disease/famine) could compel people to reduce birth rates, like late marriage, celibacy, and moral restraint.