Chapter - 4
Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Trees
Summary of the essay
The essay, “Two Long-Term
Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Trees” is written by Moti Nissani. The essay
shows the twin problem of overpopulation and deforestation, especially in
Nepal’s context.
Scientists are worried about the environment of the world
because it is becoming much polluted. The air and water are becoming poisonous
and many types of plants and animals are disappearing. The world population is
increasing rapidly due to nutrition, sanitation, and modern medicine. The population of the world is going up because
people are living longer than in the past and too many children are being born.
The population of Nepal has increased from 9 million to 23 million in less than
50 years. This increase in population is causing forests to disappear. The
land, water, and the air are becoming
polluted. Deforestation will cause landslides, desertification, flooding, soil
erosion, droughts, etc. The environment has been completely destroyed due to
over-population and deforestation. Now people are suffering from cancer, asthma
and other fatal diseases. Many people lose their hearing power before they are
old because of noise population. The rivers, lakes, and seas are all polluted. Some species of animals and birds are
going to disappear and some have already vanished.
The world’s resources are being used up and problems caused by pollution like
diseases and changes in the world’s climate are getting worse.
It is possible to stop the growth
in population. This has happened in Sweden and Germany. Education, especially
for women and information about how to avoid having babies (family planning)
help to reduce population growth. As the population of Nepal grows, forests are
being cut down to turn the land into farmland. The demand of rich people in the
west for beef is also causing forests land to be changed into grassland for
cattle farming. Rich people’s demand for wood and paper products is also
causing the destruction of the forest.
When forests are chopped down, the soil is destroyed and this can lead to
disastrous flooding.
Deforestation can be reduced if
the increase in the number of people is controlled. Education, family planning
and changes in the way we use wood are also important. For example, in Nepal,
the use of smokeless stoves can reduce the amount of firewood needed. We must
use our knowledge to bring the changes in our action.
0 Comments