Future problems and emerging challenges

Overpopulation and Nuclear Genocide in the Future

Over population in the world continues to be a problem within certain geographical areas. However, even when considering China, where the population growth is reportedly increasing by 12 to 13 million people a year, and some of its provinces are as large, or larger than individual countries around the world (Knapp, Ronald, 2009, found online). The Sichuan Province (including Chongqing) is 107,000,000, while the nation of Nigeria is 96,000,000; Mexico is 92,000,000; Germany is 81,000,000; France is 57,300,000; the UK is 58,000,000; Italy is 58,000,000; and Egypt is 58,000,000 (Knapp, online). Even China's remote province of Anhui is 56,000,000, and Hubei is 54,000,000 (Knapp, online). The world population stands at approximately six billion, and China's population is 1/5 of the total world population (20.8%) (Knapp, online). Even with a one child per family policy, China continues to experience an unprecedented growth.

This begs the question of what action will be taken in a future where the population rates cause competition for important planet resources? What happens if there is a natural catastrophic event that makes resources like food, shelter, and energy more scarce? Ninety-five percent of the population of the world has access to family planning resources that could bring about a stabilization in the increasing world population (Wahren, Carl, 1991, 35). The question remains who will decide which families are further restricted beyond choice, and how are those restrictions instituted? The answer is, of course, that it will not happen without violence, because people around the world will not tolerate it, especially when religious leaders take a stand against birth control or forced population control (Mcgurn, William, 1994, 64).

What will ensue, if we allow our imagination to run away with us for a moment; is a competition for vital resources that is deadly. It would not even be unfathomable to expect that some of the more powerful nations will resort to nuclear genocide in order to secure for their own populations vital resources. Genocide raged throughout the world in the twentieth century, during a time when philanthropy and resources were being shared and available (Lippman, Matthew, 2001, 467). Without a strong and assertive world governance, there is nothing short of doom on the forecasted horizon, because even as we saw genocide amongst nations that did not have to compete for resources, we likewise saw an increase in the nationalistic tendencies that will pit nation against nation in a hostile twenty-first century (Lippman, 467). Right now, the United Nations is not a strong enough or effective enough governing body to take on the responsibility of world leadership and governance (Morphet, Sally, 2007, 139).

The outcome of the future of Israel is important for reasons that go beyond the region's religious politics. If the world stands aside and allows the annihilation of the State of Israel, then what nation, for what reason, would be next? Right now, Iran is perfecting its capability for nuclear armament; North Korea has recently demonstrated its ability for nuclear defense, or offense. China, the nation with the fastest growing population and perhaps the fastest decreasing resources has nuclear capability; and the future of the world is precarious at best. We can hope for the best, but: