Environmental Science Case

American InterContinental University

Environmental Science: SCIE210 - 1401B – 08/Unit 1 IP

Chyrel Wohlgemuth

February 16, 2014

Abstract

Describing the changes that occur in the population over time is called demographic transition.  The interpretation (by American demographer Warren Tompson) that shows the transitions caused by births and deaths will be the discussed in this paper.  These changes take place in four stages and that will also be the detailed in this paper (Editorial Board pg. 64, 2013).

Introduction

        Births and death changes the transitions of a demographic and in order to get a better idea as how this may work, an idealist model was created that described four different stages and their stability level.  Although the model may not be accurate as we would hope, it serves as a fair complex picture that represents a general population.  This project will explain the factors that leads to both crude birth and death rates and the impact the environment may have in developed and undeveloped nations.

Describe the 4 phases of demographic transition, including if the population is stable, growing, or declining in each.

The first stage of the demographic transition is the high death, high birthrate stage.  The population is unstable and inconsistent.  In the second stage, although the rate of birth is still high, the rate of death is falling and the population level starts to go up. The third stage is represented by a rise in population and a decline in the death rate even though the birth rate is high.  It is in the fourth stage that things begin to taper off.  The population is stable and both the death and birth rate remain low (geographyfieldwork.com). 

According to demographers, what factors lead to a decline in the crude birth rates (CBR) and crude death rates (CDR) in the epidemiologic and fertility phases of the demographic transition?

The first stage (stage one) has a high death rate as well as a high birth rate.  Stage one is considered to be the preindustrial-society population.  In this stage birth rates are high because of its low development (industrial), there is little to family planning, food supply is low, and children are considered to be an economic asset. Famine, health care or lack thereof, war, diseases, and lack of education are considered to be some of the reasons for high death rates in stage one.  In stage two, there are fewer deaths and births.  This may be due to the fact that stage two (the developing-country population), advancement in food supply and sanitation which increases a population’s life span while decreasing the possibilities of diseases.  According to our textbook, food advancement means an improvement in farming techniques, crop rotation and includes selective breeding.  

The cause for a reduction of birth for the stage three populations is stated to be due to the fact that there is access to contraception, higher wages, urbanization, a reduced use of subsistence agriculture, an increase in the status and the education of women, a reduction of child labor and additional funding to invest in childhood education.  This is where the population begins to level off and a there is a decline of death rates.  By the same token, the fourth population also sees a decrease in death and births (Editorial Board pg.64, 2013).

The changes in the status of women seems to play a major role in the fertility rate as well as their understanding of the importance of being healthy and ensuring that they have the ability to avail themselves of modern medicine.

Briefly describe three living conditions and/or environmental impacts in developed countries that have reached phase IV, and contrast them with these conditions or impacts in developing countries that remain in earlier phases.

        According to the article titled “Global Shifts in Population” countries like Sub-Saharan Africa, (where 60 percent of the regions in the first or second stage) will produce an unequal share of the population growth globally. While Middle East countries, who are farther along in the transition stage is the second largest growing nation.  In Asia, it is weighing in twice because while half or the country is somewhere between the first to third stage, the other half is situation on the fourth stage.