The current average population increase is estimated at 82 million people per year. What does this mean? Well, for the past few decades, overpopulation has led to an increase in pollution and damage to our renewable resources. More and more people have children, and we all use things like fossil fuels while similarly polluting the planet. The large amount of people in the world has severely impacted the environment. It is clear that overpopulation will be affecting everyone, and people born in the 21st century will sure be witness to an environmental and international threat. Another problem with such a large human population is our effect on the planet. Preventing further overpopulation will help the environment, as well as the nation. Through the implementation of free nation-wide birth control and taxes imposed on the number of children, families can have, the United States Government can prevent further overpopulation, help the environment, and help grow national income. This article will review the dangers of overpopulation, the necessity of free birth control, and the benefits of government regulated family production. First, let's look at the threats of overpopulation.

According to populationmatters, a UK based population research organization focused on creating a sustainable future for everyone, “while there are many solutions to pollution, adding more people to the population adds more polluters and makes those solutions less effective.” What this quote suggests is that everyone acts as a small pollutant to our planet’s ecosystems. Our carbon and other pollutants grow as the population grows. More people also mean more unrenewable resources being used. My friend Greg Hite, an employee in a natural gas providing company, based in Arkansas, made the observation that a larger population uses more substantial amounts of pollutants and fossil fuels. To cut back on a currently growing pollution rate would require slowing the growth of world population.

Similarly, healthy food and water resources are running out. Populationmatters states that “Global population is expected to exceed 11 billion people by 2100 unless actions are taken to stabilize population growth…healthy diets from sustainable food systems are possible for up to 10 billion people but become increasingly unlikely past this population threshold.” The quote suggests that by 2100, the world could be so overpopulated that all food and water sources could run out entirely. Human activity has raised atmospheric carbon levels, damaging our planet and crippling agriculture for many. Those who live in high population-dense areas are already struggling with finding food and water sources: poor regions in India and China, for example. Resource depletion is not restricted to fossil fuels but affects ecosystems, water supplies, and food supplies. Our solution to a worldwide population fix can start in developed countries like the U.S. and work over borders. Overpopulation can slowly be cured with simple things like Free Birth Control

Our solution to overpopulation should start from the source; preventing un-wanted or un-necessary births. Currently, many are uneducated in using or cannot afford effective birth control. By providing proper education and encouraging people to use birth control, we can cut back on birth numbers and inspire other countries to do the same. In recent years, the US has lowered the cost of birth control, and the number of women using it has risen. According to Jennifer Weeks, in her database article “Global Population Growth,” “In 2012 President Benigno Aquino III (president of the Philippines) signed a landmark bill requiring the government to provide free birth control for the poor and mandating sex education classes in public schools.” Jennifer further notes that “Development experts hope the law will help the Philippines curb population growth, which they see as critical to helping raise millions of Filipinos out of poverty… Rapid population growth slows development and makes it harder to raise the poor out of poverty.” This quote provides an example of a country trying to curb it’s growing population via birth control and proper education. If funding a nationwide birth control program in the US is an issue, we can look to the funding in the National Emergency Fund to supply the necessary start to the program. Over time, logically, we can assume that it pays for itself. How can the government lower birth rates and fund various solutions?

One way the Government could encourage fewer childbirths (and therefore hopefully lower growing population) is through the implementation of a child tax. All families (a biological two-parent Unit) will be allowed to have three children and every child after that the family will be taxed out of their tax return. The money collected from the families with more than three children will go towards government aid or state criteria like schools. The wealthier the family, the higher the child tax as it would be a percentage of their tax returns. The tax would discourage families from having more children, would slow the growing population, and would bring in additional national income. Of course, there would be some complications. This law would not be applied to families who already had more than three children before its institution. The number of children would be recorded for BOTH the genetic mother and genetic father so that it would be split in the case of a divorce. DNA records would be required for all children, and the child tax would be pressed on BOTH parents in the case that they are not legally married. This tax would hopefully encourage people to have fewer children, but not restrict them from it. The tax could be somewhere along the lines of 5% of a Tax return but should be left up to lawmakers. So, is this a viable option?      

Currently, our national and world populations are growing at never seen before rate. We need to slow the effects of overpopulation via the use of wide-spread education and birth control. The government could enforce a law that would limit all American families from having more than three children. This is not the only solution to overpopulation, and I encourage you to do your own research into viable solutions and regulations. All I ask is that you take the time to find reliable data. We still have time to improve our planet and the lives of millions, but we have to act now. Vote for politicians who support population control.

Works Cited

Weeks, J. (2015, January 16). Global population growth. CQ Researcher, 25, 49-72. 

Population Matters, 2019, Resources and Consumption, [online]