Blog Entry: In your estimation, what is the most pressing global environmental issue facing us today? Why? If a wealthy benefactor like the Rockefeller Foundation gave you $100 billion to address a global problem, how would you allocate the funds? Would you dedicate 100% to the most pressing issue, or partition the money among many different issues?
I believe the most pressing environmental issue facing the world today is overpopulation. I believe this because overpopulation is the cause of most, if not all, other environmental issues the world is faced with. An increase in population increases the demand on resources and leads to the destruction of more and more natural lands for utilization in housing and farming. With increased population there is more demand for water and increased pollution. Whether in industrialized or third world countries, most major population centers are found near rivers or ports. In almost all cases those waters are unfit due to human activities, sewage, agricultural runoff, and overfishing. If given $100 billion to save the world I do not believe it should be spent all in one place, but a good portion of the money should be designated for awareness and birth control. In my opinion, if the people of the world were made more aware of the problems in the world, then fixing these problems would become easier. Education and the availability of birth control should make up the majority of the spending, with other problems getting some money as well. Investing in pollution mitigation technologies, restoration of natural ecosystems, renewable energies and health care are just a few examples of where money could be used. If humans were able to stop or even slow population growth then other issues of sustainability would have a greater chance of being addressed successfully.
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