AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHYPOPULATION AND MIGRATION UNIT

Thomas Malthus

For today, 10/02

Chapter 2 Reading Quiz is today! Clear your desk of everything except a scholarly weapon (also known as a writing utensil)

Growing, Growing, Growing?

World’s NIR has been decreasing…

Thomas Malthus (aka Tommy Malt)

Population Growth

FoodGrowth

Today 1 person 1 unit

T + 25 2 persons 2 units

T + 50 4 persons 3 units

T + 75 8 persons 4 units

T + 100 16 persons

5 units

English economistEssay on the Principle of Population, 1798

Population Exponential growth

Food supply Arithmetic growth

Thomas Malthus: Actions

Encouraged “checks” on population growth War Moral restraint Disease Famine

Malthus on population: “Instead of recommending cleanliness to the poor, we

should encourage contrary habits. In our towns we should make the streets narrower, crowd more people into the houses, and court the return of the plague. In the country we should build our villages near stagnant pools, and particularly encourage settlements in all marshy and unwholesome situations. But above all, we should reprobate specific remedies for ravaging diseases: and those benevolent, but much mistaken men, who have thought they were doing a service to mankind by projecting schemes for the total extirpation of particular disorders. If by these and similar means the annual mortality were increased ... we might probably every one of us marry at the age of puberty and yet few be absolutely starved.”

How was Malthus right?

Population has been rising quickly Limited use of contraceptives (DTM stages 2 and

early 3)

Population has outgrown food Farm land to urban land, environmental

degradation, life-supporting crops to cash crops, climate changes decrease food production

Neo-Malthusians Supporters of Malthusian theory today

How was Malthus wrong?

Population hasn’t grown exponentially Expanded use of contraceptives Demographic Transition Model stages 4 and 5 Political, economic, cultural decisions that limit

growth

Food supply grew faster than predicted New technologies made farmers far more efficient

(mechanization, chemicals, irrigation, etc.) Green Revolution (genetically modified, improved

seeds

Food preservation and distribution Highways, refrigeration, containerization