The total population of humans on Earth is over 7 billion, and this number continues to increase at an alarming rate. Overpopulation occurs when an area surpasses its carrying capacity, or “the number of people…that can be supported without environmental degradation” (LeBlanc, 2021). It is largely caused by increases in population, migration, export-reliant economies, or a lack of migration. Some of the major effects of overpopulation on the environment include extensive farming and deforestation, eutrophication, declines in freshwater sources, and global warming.
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