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1 The Neolithic And Industrial Revolutions
1.) The Neolithic and Industrial Revolutions The two changes in the use of the earth’s resources that had the greatest effect on the world population were the neolithic and the industrial revolutions. The neolithic revolution (a.k.a. agricultural revolution) was a change in the way of life of our ancestors. It took place about 8000 years ago among various tribes in Asia and the Middle East. It included a transition from foraging and hunting to the domestication of animals (most probably starting with the dog) and to farming. Tribes settled in fertile areas and formed agricultural communities many of which grew into villages and cities. This relatively stable way of life and the more reliable food supply (and surplus) led to the development of new professions, to labor specialization and ultimately to the stratification of these societies. Improved conditions of life led to somewhat longer life spans. Nevertheless population growth remained low due to high infant mortality rates. The impact of the neolithic revolution was not as much on immediate population growth (even though it did have a long term impact on population growth) as on the material and spiritual development of the human race. It is widely regarded as the beginning of civilization. Industrial revolution was another process of change. It was the process of substituting muscle power with machine power. It took place in the 18th century in Europe and is still happening in many parts of the world. In many characteristics it has been similar to the neolithic revolution: it increased production, it led to the use of resources that had been mostly unused until then and it improved the overall quality of life. It also led to changes in the structure of society. What was different, was its impact on population growth. It was quick and easily noticeable. Advanced sanitation, hygiene and medicine led to longer life spans and declining death rates, with the birth rates remaining high. This resulted in a high rate of population growth that still continues in many countries. The information revolution is the process of change that began in the second half of the 20th century in the developed countries of the world. It is the process of substituting "brain power" with "machine power". It leads to increased production and has the potential to create a more even distribution of the world’s population on the surface of the earth. It also has the potential to decrease the differences between the less developed and the highly developed nations of the world. Then again it also has the potential to increase those differences. It causes changes in the structure of society. Many of its impacts are still to be experienced. 2.) Thomas Malthus Thomas Robert Malthus, an English economic thinker published a theory in 1798 concerning the relationship between population growth and food supply. He said that population always increases exponentially, while food supplies increase only arithmetically. He advocated that moral restraints can not be implemented on the scale of the whole population because most individuals are will seek their own pleasure ignoring the global impacts of their actions. The growing population will therefore put a strain on the limited food resources that will lead to wars, famine and disease, decreasing the population thus restoring the equilibrium. I think it is obvious that the first part of his theory, while it does apply to certain countries, proved to be completely wrong on a global scale. There is no world-wide calorie deficit. The "food supply increase to population increase" ratio is substantially higher in the developed world than in the less developed countries. On a global scale, current food supplies do exceed the needs of the world’s population, but they are not distributed in a way that benefits the whole population. Fortunately international programs aimed at achieving a better distribution of food resources do make an impact in decreasing the calorie deficit, and it is quite likely that the inhabitants and the ... This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!
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