WHAT IF: Human population increases to 14 billion?

As we know, there are about 7 billion people on the Earth. It is possibly the biggest number among the history of human race (unless there is other alien planets with human living on it), and the human growth rate is now drawing the most vertical graph among the history of human race. We still remember celebrating 6 billionth children in 1999. The problem is that we had to celebrate 7 billionth children just about 12years after that day. Can you imagine how big that number is? When we say it, it’s pretty easy; “Seven billion”: Only two words.

However, in reality, it’s not that simple.

1.     With seven billion coins, we can travel back and forth the moon only by stacking them.

2.     With seven billion dollars, we can build 7 Burj Khalifa building, the highest and fanciest building of the world.

3.     Seven billion second is equal to 221years.

4.     It is worth 1/10 of Bill Gates wealth.

5.     Lastly, it is the highest number of population the human race supposed to be. 

Recently, Earth has been showing symptoms of a serious disease. It is incurable, and the disease eats whole body in short amount of time. We call this disease “Human”.

Let’s finish silly part here. Today, I want to discuss this topic. “What if human race exceeds the amount of people it can hold?”

14billion is about the twice of current human population, and scientists guesses that we will go to reach this number around 22th century. However, I don’t think so. In 1999, not many people expected us to increase in one billion just in twelve years. Using the law of 70, and the current human population growth rate, I found out that human population would be doubled just in 60years, which will be 2071.

Increased population is extremely serious problem. Let me show several examples.

1.     Resource problem

To keep up twice the number of people, we need twice the number of all resources in order to fulfill their will. However, we know that we do not have enough food, water, and all other resources to do that. As a result, people will have to use 50~60% of resources they are using now; maybe, 70% in maximum. However, many people will not be satisfies with that. Then what would happen? I’m not sure. Maybe there would be a great world war, to get more resources, or a peaceful treaty to live with what we have.

2.     Work problem

Human is a “working animal”. No human can live without working, because they need to work in order to maintain themselves with sufficient resources. However, if we have 14 billion people in the world, do you think everyone can have a job to work? Even now, everywhere in the world is suffering from lack of workplace. For example, China is suffering the most from this problem. More than 60% of graduates find it hard to enter a job, and as a result, even a person with doctor’s degree had to work in mere dustman. Only possible solution is to divide each jobs so that people gets at least some money. However, it will significantly decrease people’s quality of life.

3.     Environmental problem

The landmass is limited. However, people need place to live. As a result, people will have to either develop a new piece of land, or fight to gain the existing land. For the first choice, I can say that we human already have utilized the maximum amount of land we can. If we have to develop, only choices left is the ice-field of Siberia, Sweltering desert around Africa, or dense forest of Amazon. In Siberia and Deserts, people will be able to live, but they would not be able to hope the quality of life over there. Also, for Amazon, developing this area will be like though penetrating through lung of Earth.  

Overlapping problems in each topic is that “The quality of life” will decrease significantly. With fewer resources, people will have to eat less, or starve. With damaged environment, people will have to fight for better place to live.

Twice the people will only result in misery. However, we are heading toward this tragedy step by step, without giving any solution. We all know what will happen after the tragedy. I hope the world chooses its best choice, so that I would not be suffering in my age of 70 or around. 

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"Knowledge is Power"

I think most of you are familiar with the term “Knowledge is Power”. I’m not really a mathematical guy, but every time I hear this quote, my brain automatically draws out this equation;

KNOWLEDGE = POWER

If this is true, then doesn't it also means that one other equation is true as well?

Power => Knowledge

So my fundamental question is, whether “Power is Knowledge” make sense. This idea first came to me after hearing the original quote from Mr. Menard’s class, and wanted to write about it ever since. So rather than wasting my time on internet, I decided to show my ideas to everyone who visits my blog.

1.  With more power, you can get more knowledge

What is considered as power these days? Ones that quickly come in to my mind are “military power”, and “economic power”. So if I say a country has a lot of power, it would mean that the country is wealthy, or has a strong army behind it. I think, that in either ways, having these powers will allow people to get more knowledge.

First of all, with more money, more can be invested into researches, thus making them more successful. Even though result of research dose not completely matters with amount of money invested, but it is true that a research with more money is more likely to succeed.

Also, having a strong army behind the country will give freedom of choice in researches. A country with lesser power will not be able to handle such a research like “Nuclear Reactions” due to objection of other strong countries.

Consequently, if a variety of researches can be held successfully with support of power, it can be said that “Power is Knowledge”.

Let’s discuss something other than researches. If you have more power as an individual, it will give you more access to information that cannot be treated by public. For example, if you become a US president, you will be able to know the secret about “Area 51”. Also, some information can be bought with money. If we can consider piece of information as knowledge, it again proves the above quote. 

2. Power is the proof of knowledge

In a different perspective, I think Power is the proof of having Knowledge. For a bigger power, more knowledge is required. For example, having a better weapon will require research for fiercer weapon. Also, having more knowledge about the world will allow people to earn more money.

TOEFL ESSAY #2

Who do you think is most famous person in the world? The 2011 Forbes research selected “Oprah Winfrey” as the most renowned person among the world, and another research mentioned “Barack Obama” as one. However, there is one person who is possibly known by almost everybody on Earth. Well, at least the world history is divided into two parts by his birth: B.C and A.D. Recently, people realized that it has already been two thousand years since his birth, and celebrated the start of “New Millennium” as well as start of “21th century”. Amongst all the things this new century brought, the biggest of all was change in people’s view toward the world. People were filled with hope, and their expectations about bright future were made. However, one the other hand, worries and fears rose.   

Start of 21th century brought people hopeful expectations about the future. This is mainly due to the fact that something believed to be impossible in 20th century was becoming a “reality” in 21th century; for example, it was impossible to even think about individuals owning computers just about forty years ago. But how is it now? Everyone’s got a computer that can basically connect you with everybody on Earth just with a click. Furthermore, no one expected medical technology to develop this much, thus making people healthier, as well as granting longer life. Lastly, the society has become a place where a person’s ability and idea isn’t considered by their background or education. Consequently, many innovated ideas were made, created, and applied to real life and made our life better. Due to success of these ideas, people started looking at the infinite possibilities of new age. What 21th century gave wasn’t something substantial, but it was the hope that something impossible will be achieved someday.

The problem was that fear and worries rose as 21th century continued. First, in return of technological growth, more severe disasters like “Katrina” occurred. But most disastrous of all, was the uncontrollable “nuclear energy”. We have been using the energy for tens of years, and it is possibly the most effective energy amongst all. So people poured money on developing this energy and built hundreds of nuclear power plants. Most people weren’t aware about the danger of nuclear energy until an incident happened in Fukushima, Japan: the power plant was destroyed, thus creating 8000km² of “deadly area” where no human can live. As a result, many people were alarmed about the fact that they were living right beside a nuclear bomb or something even worse. Secondly, lack of resources made people live under the fear of conflict and wars. Before, countries fought for their own safety, religious right, and people (more land). However, it seems only greed toward limited resources is left to motivate 21th century’s fight. As time goes by, these conflicts will never diminish, but only piles up.

21th century presented two contradicting ideas: hope and fear. In a sense, living in 21th century is like though living in a house where heaven and hell both exists. The upper floor indeed has a heaven-like environment where all people utilize new technologies and live a better life. In contrast, the lower floor is only a hell consisted of nuclear waste and bombing sound. At this moment, most people live in upper floor, not knowing what is happening downstairs. It wouldn’t be a huge problem if all these people manage to live in upper floor forever. However, the ground they are stepping on is so fragile; that one wrong step can possibly demolish the floor, consequently pulling everybody into hell.