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Reducing Population Growth in the United States

In human geography, population growth refers to an increase in the number of individuals occupying a given geographical area. In the United States, the latest information generated from the Census Bureau indicates that the US population grows at a rate of 0.7% to 0.9% per year. As of 2018, the US population was at 327.16 million. There are a number of factors contributing to the high growth rate. Population growth causes unprecedented changes on the environment. Human activities cause global climate change which leads to soil erosion due to acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, alters ecosystems, and result in global warming (Goudie, 2018). Industrial chemicals affect the quality of water available for domestic use and the quality of farm soils for agriculture. High population also puts pressure on available food and environmental resources. The ultimate effect of the above changes on environmental carrying capacity is unbelievable. The carrying capacity of the United States might eventually decrease. This paper seeks to present the three options deemed good to help reduce population growth in the United States and describe why they would be good options, and how their impact be beneficial for the environment.

Immigration has for a long time been a touchstone of the political debates in the United States (Treyz & Evangelakis, 2018). Immigrants make up to fourteen percent of the total population in the United States. According to the Census Bureau data, this makes up a total of 323 million people. The immigrants plus their young ones born within the US make it twenty seven percent of the US inhabitants. There has been a steady rise in the figure since 19970. This has led to a high competition for the available economic and environmental resources. Illegal immigration is of concern because the undocumented population has steadily risen up. It is important to set up policies that aim to reduce unlawful immigration, enforcement of border security and ensuring that those who arrive do not overstay their visas. This would help in reducing the current US population. Contrarily, continued support for immigration is essential for economic stability and growth. Restricting over-border immigration can limit international business and corporations can have potential impacts on the economic profile of the country. Although immigration has the potential to foster business and contribute to economic stability due to increased business operations and networking, illegal immigration into the US must be banned because the current US population is wanting (Treyz & Evangelakis, 2018). It puts pressure on the available environmental resources.

As aforementioned, children born of immigrants into the US comprise a big percentage of the US population. Moreover, the native population is equally high. Ensuring that all persons have an easy, reliable and cheap access to contraception tools can also go a long way in preventing unwanted pregnancies. Every hospital within the US should seek to provide cheaply available and efficient birth control measures and medicines to ensure that all persons have the means and awareness on using contraception. Using contraceptives should be advertised and continually promoted along ensuring ready access to affordable birth control measures. As argued in some quarter, although birth control measures can reduce the available workforce required in the US, reducing the size of the current population will reduce the adversity of the pressures exerted on the environment (Saidi & Hammami, 2015). 

Another option is to put an end to policies that reward parents financially basing on the number of children they conceive and putting prices on environmental costs and effects. By quantifying the cost of having an additional family member by calculating the cost of taxes and increased food, compared to the cost of raring a smaller family, couples can voluntarily decide to decrease birth rates. Although taxing families based on the number of children they have can be unfair and unsustainable, this strategy disciplines parents into having manageable families that do not compromise the availability of environmental and economic resources. High population growth comes with increased urbanization. Urbanization impacts on climate change and emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) which results to global warming.

If immigration is restricted, many states will be unable to get exposure to the diverse available opportunities within the United States. Border control can be enacted, yes, but it will not be sustainable. If taxes are imposed on parents for bearing more children, a good number of couples might be willing to pay and bear more children. Of the three aforementioned options, introducing the use of contraceptives and making them readily available to both the immigrants and the natives will work best in controlling the rates of birth. Data will be gathered through questionnaires from nurses working within the state hospital. They will provide information regarding the efficacy of the proposed solution on whether birth rates and early pregnancies have reduced or not towards reducing the current US population. The expected results should indicate whether the use of contraceptives is helping to curb the menace.

In conclusion, the US population has shown a steady growth over the years. This situation is accelerated by a number of factors. This high growth rate impacts negatively on the environment. The aforementioned options can help in reducing this high rate of growth.