Potential Issues to further research:
• Overpopulation
• Climate Change
• Nuclear Power
• Pollution
• Genetic Engineering
We have decided to go with overpopulation as this is the one we are all most interested in. The areas that we will research within overpopulation are:
• Chinas One Child Policy
• Medical Advancements
• InterAcademy Panel Statement on Population Growth,
• Resources
• Urbanisation
• Population Growth
• Japanese Micro Houses
• Combating overpopulation
• Population around the world
Birth Credits - A way of combating overpopulation
I will be looking at ways of combating over population one theory I have found is Birth Credits an idea suggested by Michael E Arth. The idea is that every human receives half a birth credit when they are born. They must pair with another human to make a full birth credit which will allow them to reproduce. If you want to have additional children you can purchase birth credits from people who do not wish to reproduce.
If that allotment was determined to be one child, for example, then the first child would be free, and the market would determine the cost of the license for each additional child. Extra credits would expire after a certain time, so these credits could not be hoarded by speculators. An advantage of the scheme is that the affluent would not buy them because they already limit their family size by choice, as evidenced by an average of 1.1 children per European woman.
Incentive and enforcement
According to Arth, a woman may collect the value of one credit if and when she decides not to have children. If the desired average number of children is one per woman, then a woman can have one for free. If she has additional children, she will be required to buy one birth credit for each child. The incentive to society is the prevention of an overpopulation-related tragedy of the commons, including an immediate reduction in unwanted children. The incentive to individuals is that their economic and educational levels would tend to rise as there is an inverse relationship between net worth and the number of children one has. As with traffic laws, enforcement of birth credits could be through fines, tax levies, or loss of privileges.
CostThe scheme would pay for itself by rewarding those who choose not to have children, and charging those that have more than their allotment. The actual cost of the credits to those opting for more than one child would only be a tiny fraction of the actual cost of having and raising a child. Therefore, the credits would serve more as a wake-up call to women who might otherwise produce children without seriously considering the long term consequences to themselves or society.
India - The fastest growing population
As of July 2003, India had a population of just over one billion (CIA World Factbook). With around 170 million hectares of arable land, it has the potential to produce among the world’s highest crop yields, and indeed, India produced the second highest amount of both rice and wheat per year in 1999 (Hopper). While whether or not this amount of food could sufficiently cover the needs of the population, two things are clear without dispute; millions of Indians’ fundamental biological needs are not met, and should the population continue to rise, it will not be possible to produce enough food to cover those needs.
Evidence for the first argument is simple to find. In 1999, 53% of the Indian population under the age of five was malnourished, and 37% had no access to safe water (The Earth Times). Fifteen million people in Bombay have sidewalks for beds (Associated Press), and 25% of the population is below the poverty line (CIA World Factbook). All of these issues boil down to the simple idea that there are not enough goods to go around. Or, if there are enough goods to go around, then there is not enough government to dispense them.
The second argument, that as population rises problems are worsened, is intuitive. But beyond this, growth rates are a big deal for a country with a huge population. India adds more people to the world each day than any other country (Clarke), adding up to about 12 million people per year by one estimate (Litke), and 18 million by another (ENN). Each added person increases the number on the side of the ratio that should decrease if needs are going to be met. And this brings us to the heart of the problem.
Condom Dispensers for City Streets Soon. The Maharashtra District and Aids Control Society (MDACS) plans to install more than a 100 condom vending machines across the city as part of a pilot study. If the project is successful, the number of machines could go up to 300. The organisation had decided not to distribute the condoms free as previously the experiment did not work and the machines were vandalised. Mumbai's municipal corporators are lobbying for condom vending machines to be installed at check posts and railway stations but want the condoms to be free. The civic administration has turned down this demand.
India: Government to Take More Stern Steps to Control Population. The Chennai Health Department will increase the number of no scalpel vasectomies by 10% as a part of their population control program. According to the records, an average of 35,000 operations are performed every month and while about 500 centres perform laproscopic tubectomy; the others follow conventional methods of surgery. Of the 14 lakh established pregancies 1.5 lakh undergo abortion. The Dept is planning women-friendly campaigns for HIV/AIDS, diabetes, hypertension and menopause. The officials consider promoting male sterilisation because it is cost-effective, simple and a quicker. The mortality is almost nil and doctors can perform several vasectomies in one day. However the department will not be able to promote vasectomies unless they break the myths about the procedure. Doctors campaigning for the no scalpel vasectomy say they find it difficult to convince people to hear about the procedure. Some men think they will lose their strength or will have to keep away from work if they undergo sterilization they believe men will lose their virility if they are operated upon. The directorate is promoting men who underwent the operation a decade ago and this has significantly increased the number of vasectomies.
India Considers Childbirth Bill to Curb Population. India is considering a bill to limit members of Parliament and state legislatures to having two children in an effort to curb skyrocketing population. India's population is expected to surpass China's by 2050. Six Indian states have laws mandating a two-child norm for members of village councils. Opponents argue that increasing education and work opportunities for women, as well as improving health care and offering a variety of contraceptives, have proven to be the most effective ways of limiting population growth. Enforcement of a two-child law could lead to an increase in female abortions. Everyone wants two children, but most also want a son.
India's Home Minister Says Government Shocked Over Growing Numbers of Female Fetuses Aborted. The government of India said that because of the preference for sons, the practice of aborting female fetuses is growing. It has been illegal for more than 100 years but census reports and activists say that data shows some 20 million to 40 million girls were aborted or killed in infancy. The laws against misuse of the ultrasound technology to determine pre-natal sex have been strengthened. A plan for a National Register of Citizens, with identity cards for all of India's 1.05 billion people may help, as no woman would be able to get such tests without identifying herself, and the results tracked.
World Population currently http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/.
Creating A Piece of Graphic Design
We now need to create a piece of design or at least propose a piece of design which is completely influenced by all of our research. We could either go down the route of informing people about over population or focus on some of the more shocking and attention grabbing aspects of it.
We are currently thinking about focusing on the harsher ways of stopping overpopulation. We want to really highlight how girls are aborted or killed in infancy.
We should look at the following:
• Why boys are favoured over girls
• Other harsh methods of lowering population
• Aimee has already researched the one child policy.
In the way of design we want to create something that is overcrowded or that uses something everyday to show overcrowded-ness. Pastel colours such as a baby blue and baby pink could be used to represent the genders and having less pink would symbolise boys being favoured.
The Chinese government has just pledged to get tougher, launching a new drive against sex-selective abortion. It is increasing safeguards – such as the requirement that two doctors are present at each ultrasound – and toughening punishments. Institutions, as well as individuals, will be held responsible for breaches; the worst offenders risk having their medical licences withdrawn.
India - The fastest growing population
As of July 2003, India had a population of just over one billion (CIA World Factbook). With around 170 million hectares of arable land, it has the potential to produce among the world’s highest crop yields, and indeed, India produced the second highest amount of both rice and wheat per year in 1999 (Hopper). While whether or not this amount of food could sufficiently cover the needs of the population, two things are clear without dispute; millions of Indians’ fundamental biological needs are not met, and should the population continue to rise, it will not be possible to produce enough food to cover those needs.
Evidence for the first argument is simple to find. In 1999, 53% of the Indian population under the age of five was malnourished, and 37% had no access to safe water (The Earth Times). Fifteen million people in Bombay have sidewalks for beds (Associated Press), and 25% of the population is below the poverty line (CIA World Factbook). All of these issues boil down to the simple idea that there are not enough goods to go around. Or, if there are enough goods to go around, then there is not enough government to dispense them.
The second argument, that as population rises problems are worsened, is intuitive. But beyond this, growth rates are a big deal for a country with a huge population. India adds more people to the world each day than any other country (Clarke), adding up to about 12 million people per year by one estimate (Litke), and 18 million by another (ENN). Each added person increases the number on the side of the ratio that should decrease if needs are going to be met. And this brings us to the heart of the problem.
Condom Dispensers for City Streets Soon. The Maharashtra District and Aids Control Society (MDACS) plans to install more than a 100 condom vending machines across the city as part of a pilot study. If the project is successful, the number of machines could go up to 300. The organisation had decided not to distribute the condoms free as previously the experiment did not work and the machines were vandalised. Mumbai's municipal corporators are lobbying for condom vending machines to be installed at check posts and railway stations but want the condoms to be free. The civic administration has turned down this demand.
India: Government to Take More Stern Steps to Control Population. The Chennai Health Department will increase the number of no scalpel vasectomies by 10% as a part of their population control program. According to the records, an average of 35,000 operations are performed every month and while about 500 centres perform laproscopic tubectomy; the others follow conventional methods of surgery. Of the 14 lakh established pregancies 1.5 lakh undergo abortion. The Dept is planning women-friendly campaigns for HIV/AIDS, diabetes, hypertension and menopause. The officials consider promoting male sterilisation because it is cost-effective, simple and a quicker. The mortality is almost nil and doctors can perform several vasectomies in one day. However the department will not be able to promote vasectomies unless they break the myths about the procedure. Doctors campaigning for the no scalpel vasectomy say they find it difficult to convince people to hear about the procedure. Some men think they will lose their strength or will have to keep away from work if they undergo sterilization they believe men will lose their virility if they are operated upon. The directorate is promoting men who underwent the operation a decade ago and this has significantly increased the number of vasectomies.
India Considers Childbirth Bill to Curb Population. India is considering a bill to limit members of Parliament and state legislatures to having two children in an effort to curb skyrocketing population. India's population is expected to surpass China's by 2050. Six Indian states have laws mandating a two-child norm for members of village councils. Opponents argue that increasing education and work opportunities for women, as well as improving health care and offering a variety of contraceptives, have proven to be the most effective ways of limiting population growth. Enforcement of a two-child law could lead to an increase in female abortions. Everyone wants two children, but most also want a son.
India's Home Minister Says Government Shocked Over Growing Numbers of Female Fetuses Aborted. The government of India said that because of the preference for sons, the practice of aborting female fetuses is growing. It has been illegal for more than 100 years but census reports and activists say that data shows some 20 million to 40 million girls were aborted or killed in infancy. The laws against misuse of the ultrasound technology to determine pre-natal sex have been strengthened. A plan for a National Register of Citizens, with identity cards for all of India's 1.05 billion people may help, as no woman would be able to get such tests without identifying herself, and the results tracked.
World Population currently http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/.
Creating A Piece of Graphic Design
We now need to create a piece of design or at least propose a piece of design which is completely influenced by all of our research. We could either go down the route of informing people about over population or focus on some of the more shocking and attention grabbing aspects of it.
We are currently thinking about focusing on the harsher ways of stopping overpopulation. We want to really highlight how girls are aborted or killed in infancy.
We should look at the following:
• Why boys are favoured over girls
• Other harsh methods of lowering population
• Aimee has already researched the one child policy.
In the way of design we want to create something that is overcrowded or that uses something everyday to show overcrowded-ness. Pastel colours such as a baby blue and baby pink could be used to represent the genders and having less pink would symbolise boys being favoured.
The Chinese government has just pledged to get tougher, launching a new drive against sex-selective abortion. It is increasing safeguards – such as the requirement that two doctors are present at each ultrasound – and toughening punishments. Institutions, as well as individuals, will be held responsible for breaches; the worst offenders risk having their medical licences withdrawn.
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