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What Ways Does Climate Have to Do With Population Growth?

Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) trapping heat inside the the earth's atmosphere. CO2 is released when fossil fuels, wood and other fuels are burned for heat or energy. Since every person requires heat and energy to survive, it is obvious that, unless alternative fuel sources are found, that greater population will lead to increased fuel use and increase the effects of global warming.

Conservation
- Many people around the world are attempting to conserve energy to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce global warming. According to the United Nations, though, by 2025 the population will rise from the current level of 6.6 billion to 8 billion people. Poor people do not use as many resources as wealthier people, However, an increase of 1.4 billion people offsets some of the effort to conserve and will require significant reductions in energy use just to maintain current levels of pollution.
Brown Clouds
- Although poor people do not use fewer resources than wealthier people, they are not as aware of fuel efficiency and not as cautious about how they use fuel. In Asia, where the majority of the population lives and where poverty rates are very high, brown clouds of pollution have appeared that are so large they are visible from space. These clouds are caused by the burning of forests for agriculture and wood and dung fires used for cooking and heating. These clouds have sped up the process of global warming in certain areas and increased the rate at which the Himalayan glaciers are melting.
Water
- In addition to speeding up the process of global warming, population growth will intensify the consequences for humanity. As ice caps and glaciers melt, sea levels will rise, but the amount of fresh water will decline. There may be more actual rainfall and more intense storms, and there may even be more frequent flooding; however, with warmer temperatures and the loss of ice caps and glaciers, the water will move more quickly to the sea. As population grows, the demand for water will increase while the amount of available water decreases.
Agriculture
- Another way that population growth will intensify the effects of climate change is by increasing the demand for food. Agriculture obviously requires water, and the need for water will generally be even higher as temperatures go up and supplies of water will be less. Beyond that, climate change will have a dramatic impact on the areas available for agriculture. Low-lying coastal areas will be reclaimed by the ocean. Other areas currently used for agriculture will flood or suffer droughts. Storms will also become more intense and a regular threat to crops where they can grow. The more the population increases, the greater the demand for food will be and the higher the temperatures go the less food will be available.

Nature