Human Consumption Is Depleting The Earth s Natural...

Human consumption is depleting the Earth s natural resources and impairing the capacity of life-supporting ecosystems. Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively over the past 50 years than during any other period, primarily to meet increasing demands for food, fresh water, timber, fibre and fuel. Such consumption, together with world population increasing from 2.6 billion in 1950 to 6.8 billion in 2009, are major contributors to environmental damage.(Human population growth and the demographic transition). Strengthening family-planning services is crucial to slowing population growth, now 85 million annually,(Essential Environment, Human Population,page 118) and limiting population size to 9.2 billion by 2050. Otherwise, birth rates could remain unchanged, and world population would grow to 11 billion.(Essential Environment, Human Population,page 120). Indonesia is the 4th most populated country on the planet, making up 3.49% of the earths population, behind China, India and US ( World Population). Indonesia’s population is expected to grow to 271. 1 million in 2020 and 305.6 million in 2035, and the question is can the future Indonesia sustain this demographic burden (Indonesia s population growth: A demographic bonus or Burden)? Of particular concern are addressing the issues of adolescent pregnancy as UN’s 2010 World Population Prospects estimated that 1.7 million women and girls under the age of 24 give birth annually in Indonesia and almost half a