Question

Why does the author aver that the growth of the world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?

Answer 1

Over-population is one of the strongest factors responsible for a nation’s poverty and unemployment. It disturbs the earth’s principal biological systems leading to degradation of the environment.

The author highlights the problem of over-population by pointing out the mental set-up of the poor who feel more children means more workers to earn money. They do not realise that more children only means more unemployed people. He argues that development is the best contraceptive, which includes the spread of education, improvement of health, and a rise in income.
The spread of education leads to awareness among people, which in turn results in a fall in the ‘fertility’ rate. The author makes a comment which emphasises the never-ending circle of population and poverty by asserting that “The choice is really between control of the population and the perpetuation of poverty.”