Overpopulation

During the first 2 million or so years of it's history, the human population was a minor element in the world ecosystem, with at most 10 million members. In the New Stone Age, less than 10,000 years ago, the number of humans began to increase more rapidly. The rough equilibrium maintained before Neolithic times gave way when the human population developed agriculture and animal husbandry and no longer had to spread out in search of game. With the abandonment of a hunting-gathering way of life and the rise of permanent settlements and eventually cities, the human population underwent dramatic growth. By the beginning of the Christian era it had reached 250 million and by 1960, half a billion (Fraser, pg.4-6). Many ancient societies, including the Roman Empire, were Natalist-that is, they encouraged marriage and high fertility. They believed that large populations equaled power and success (Stefoff, pg.33).

Growth of population during the 20th century was very rapid. In 19...