A Demographic Dividend in Africa

For the past few days, my class has been discussing the importance of population growth and demographic trends in nations. In particular we are focusing on the effects of a “demographic dividend.” Generally when societies transition from a high fertility rate to a low fertility rate, the societies grow economically. This is because there is an increase in the number of people in the work force and they begin to have fewer children. This economic growth due to the change in fertility is often called “demographic dividend.” The other day I came upon article that focused on the possible demographic dividend in Africa. The article is called “Baby Bonanza” from the Economist. I was surprised by the author’s prediction that Africa could be an exception to the trend of obtaining a demographic dividend due to economic growth. In the past South East Asia and China have both grown richer and benefitted from a demographic transition as their fertility rates have dropped. Yet, even as Africa begins to grow richer, she may be an exception to this demographic transition. This article caught my attention because Africa has suffered from so much in the past and it looks like she will continue to suffer unless something is done to encourage a demographic dividend due to economic growth. It seems like Africa needs to focus on being able to provide enough food for its people and providing better education for its females. It also needs to develop stronger and more stable governments to protect its people. Then maybe Africa will benefit from a demographic dividend.

Today, I took an online quiz that determined my ecological footprint. According to this quiz, my ecological footprint is huge! If everyone on the planet lived the same lifestyle as me, we would need five earths to support everyone. I am still shocked and horrified that I have such a large impact on the state of the Earth. Yet, my footprint is still below the average person living in the United States.

So I've created a list of things that I am going to work on to make my ecological footprint smaller.

1. Ride my bike instead of taking the bus or driving a car
2. Take shorter showers
3. Buy energy efficient light bulbs
4. Now that I'm 18, I can vote for candidates that will make sustainability one of their priorities
5. Eat less meat
6. Eat foods with less packaging to reduce waste
7. Replace items only when they need to be replaced

During the semester, I will also be completing a case study on world hunger in the Environment and Society class. The case study is a group effort, but I will be required to contribute to the essay and oral presentation on world hunger. Also, I will be interviewing a person outside of the UNC community who is knowledgeable about my topic. I am excited to investigate the various causes for world hunger and different ways to combat mass starvation. I am looking forward to posting my findings and work on this blog.

The Very Beginning

First, I would just like to say welcome to my blog! I am a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and I’m thinking about majoring in Environmental Science. Currently, I am taking a class called Environment and Society. Although I am an Environmental Science major, this is my first environmental class. I never even took an environmental science class in high school, but somehow I know that I want to major in Environmental Science. I decided to take this class so I would get a better idea of the kind of classes I would be taking for my major. Already, this class has inspired me to write a blog that is dedicated to environmental issues. The purpose of this blog is to document my perceptions and experiences in the class. With this blog, I will develop and share my opinions regarding certain environmental issues. I hope that others will also find these topics as interesting as I do!