Heritage of Words (4. Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Trees) - Moti Nissani

Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Two Few Trees | Heritage of Words

Writer : Moti Nissani

SUMMARY
The essay, “Two Long-Term Problems: Two Many People, Two Few Trees”, by a noted scholar Moti Nissani, is about two distinct yet inter-related, long-term problems. These two major problems, which are overpopulation and deforestation, are likely to destroy all the lives on our planet unless timely actions are taken.
The essay starts with the world’s scientists concern over the earth’s environment. It is becoming much polluted. The air, water, and soil, which are regarded to be the most important things for the existence of any living species, are becoming poisonous and many kinds of plants and animals have already disappeared.
Nissani opines the main reason for the degrading situation is overpopulation. It is constantly swinging up because people are living longer than in past and too many children are being born. He cites the example of Nepal, where the population has risen to 23 million from 9 million in less than 50 years. If the same trend continues unchecked, the population of Nepal will reach around 368 million after 140 years. Nepal is not the only case of this kind. The population is increasing everywhere except some countries which can be counted on finger tips. More people, in turn, use more natural resources, cause pollution, and bring changes in world climate.
Meanwhile, the time for improvement is still within our reach. We can still control the situation though it is difficult to reverse it. We can minimise the problem by controlling our population. Education, especially to women, and information about how to avoid babies can help to reduce the population growth.

As the population grows, forests are cut down for new farmlands and houses. The demand of rich people in the west for beef is also provoking people to change the forest into pasture-land. Besides, the demand of wood and paper products in developed countries is also adding fuel to the fire.
When the trees are chopped down, the topsoil is destroyed. It leads to disastrous landslides and sudden flood. Deforestation also causes droughts, weather extremes, desertification, loss of wild species, and depletion of ozone layer.
However, deforestation can also be controlled if the number of people will be controlled. Education, family planning and changes in the way we use wood are also important to control deforestation. For example, in Nepal the use of smokeless stoves can reduce the amount of firewood. The essayists reminds us that we know what changes we have to make but we are not clever or brave enough to make those changes. We need to apply what we know to control these two long-term problems.

Summary (2)

The essay “Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Trees” was written by an American writer, Moti Nissani. In this essay, the writer addresses the twin problems of overpopulation and deforestation, especially in the context of Nepal.

More than 1500 of Nobel prize winner scientists are worried about the state of the biosphere. They express their worry and concern about the future of humanity in a document, “World Scientists Warning to Humanity.” Royal Society of London and US National Academy of Science, on the other hand, state that the future of humanity will be in the balance if the degradation of the natural environment is halted in time.

The facts today speak something else. Human health, natural environment, and wildlife are at serious risk due to overpopulation and deforestation. The population of the world, including that of Nepal, is exploding. In the context of Nepal, an average woman is giving birth to 5 children, which has caused the population of Nepal to grow by 2.5 % every year. The population has risen to 23 million from 9 million in less than 50 years. If the current trend continues, it is predicted to reach 46 million by 2026. In the global context, the population is increasing by 10,000 people every hour and 80 million people every year. This frightening trend of population growth leads Moti Nissani to believe that the world is facing an overpopulation crisis.

The causes of overpopulation are as follows:

1. Advancement in sanitation, nutrition, and health
2. Lack of family planning devices
3. Lack of equal opportunities for women
4. Illiteracy
5. Lack of population education
6. Traditional and superstitious society

The consequences of overpopulation are massive and uncertain. It is likely to invite problems in human life, wildlife, and the natural environment.

The consequences of overpopulation include:

1. Deforestation and desertification of the earth
2. Erosion in the quality and value of human life
3. Depletion of nonrenewable resources
4. Degradation of the natural environment
5. Loss of wild species of plants, birds, and animals
6. Acid rain and ozone layer depletion and the greenhouse effect
7. Crime ethnic conflicts and warfare

History and common sense tell us that we can control population growth.

The following measures might help control the rapid growth of population.

1. Modernization in thought and lifestyle of people
2. Literacy, especially for third world people
3. Media campaigns for public awareness
4. Readily available means of family planning
5. Equal economic, educational and legal opportunities for women.

Deforestation is another long term problem. It existed in the past, will exist in the future. The only difference is it is being destroyed much faster and on a larger scale than ever before. For example, Forest covered 40% of the earth’s total land at the beginning of the 20th century, but the figure stands at 25% at the end of the century.

The causes of deforestation are as follows:

1. Overpopulation, poverty, and dependence on forest for livelihood
2. The affluent lifestyle of some people
3. The high demand for mahogany furniture, paper products, beef and hamburgers in the western countries
4. Deforestation is likely to affect human life, wildlife, and the natural environment.

The consequences of deforestation are as follows:

1. Soil erosion, landslide, flooding and siltation of rivers
2. Loss of variable species of both plants and animals
3. Greenhouse effects, droughts, weather extremes, sizzling temperature, global warming, depletion of the Ozone layer
4. Degradation of the natural environment

We can save the forest by controlling our numbers and appetites.

The following measures can solve the problem of deforestation:

1. Controlling growth in population
2. Moves towards participatory democracy
3. Economic sufficiency
4. Efficiency in the use of wood products
5. The financial incentive for preserving forests
6. Recycling, reforestation
7. Appropriate technology

We know we need to help a few people and more trees. We also know how to do it, but we still lack forest compassion and wisdom to turn our knowledge into reality.

SUMMARY OPTION  (3)
The significant writer and processor Moti Nissani has raised the two long-term problems in his essay, they are: over population and deforestation. Because of industrialization, nutrition, sanitation and modern medicine, people are living longer and the world population is increasing rapidly. The writer is worried by the fact that over populating will have a bad impact to the natural world. To produce more food for more people, the trees will be cut down and forests will be cultivated. Moreover, the growing population will pollute rivers, lakes, air, drinking water, soil and the whole natural world. Such environmental pollution will cause different kinds of diseases such as cancer, asthma and respiratory diseases. Overpopulation causes deforestation. Deforestation will cause floods, landslides, soil-erosion, droughts, greenhouse effects and the loss of various species of plants, birds and animals.

Nissani further says that every year there are 80 million more people in the world. He presents the realistic pictures of Nepal.  In 1951, there were nine million people In Nepal. After less than 50 years, the Population grew to 23 million. As an average Nepalese woman gives birth to five ·children, Nepal’s population growth rate is high. If this high birth rate continues, Nissani says that Nepal’s population will reach 368 million after 140 years. If such overpopulation .is not checked, Nepal will have to face various devastating problems in the near future.
In the essay, Moti Nissani encourages us to protect trees for the future generation. He has recommended few steps from where we can prevent chopping down of the trees and restore healthy atmosphere. We need wisdom, courage and compassion (concerns) to control the problems of overpopulation and deforestation. We can control deforestation by controlling population and by educating them about the bad impacts of deforestation. We can solve this problem by starting afforestation and using smokeless stove. Effective family planning is the main remedy (treatment) of controlling over population. People should be encouraged to plant trees and they should be discouraged to cut trees. Concluding the essay; Nissani stresses that we should have willingness and passion to reduce population and plant trees which will help us to live healthier and our future will also be bright and safe.

SUMMARY (4)

Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Tree
-          Moti Nissani


Theme:

This essay is about two problems that are going to make people’s lives much more badly. It is possible they will destroy all life on out planet. These problems are that there are too many people in the world (overpopulation) and that our forests are being destroyed. The problems are linked because when there are too many people, forests get cut down more quickly and trees do not get replaced.

Summary:

Moti Nissani, in this thought-provoking essay “Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Trees,” talks on two interrelated problems overpopulation and deforestation. He also emphasizes on the danger on eco-system caused by human activities that are creating pollution on this earth and making the earth unsuitable to live on.

In 1992, most o the Nobel Prize winner scientists came to the conclusion that the human activities have made irreversible damages on our biosphere and natural resources. If not controlled in time, the future is in serious risk of altering the present state of living creatures including humans themselves.

Danger diseases like cancer, emphysema, asthma are increasing these days in greater scale than in the previous decades. Toxic chemicals produced by men have affected children’s health and brain. We have polluted our own rivers, lakes, air, and have poisoned our food and our soil. Many of the living creatures have been disappeared already from the earth but we are producing more dangerous and harmful chemicals that may cause the disappearance of other many more species from the earth. Instead of thinking for the prevention, we come into the action when everything is ruined. Soil erosion, desertification, deforestation, floods are increased unexpectedly.

Because of the nutritious food, medicine and sanitation, the people are living longer and the population is growing out of control. To talk about Nepal, there were only 9 million people in 1951 but this number has been doubled within less than 30 years. If increased in the same rate, the population of Nepal will reach to 46 million by the year of 2026. Overpopulation not only creates pollution but it also increases crime rates and ethnic conflicts. Different kinds of environmental problems are created because of overpopulation. The most dangerous problem is the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources. But, it is not too difficult to control excessive growth of population. Modernization, literacy, media campaigns, readily available family planning measures and contraceptives, equal opportunities for women are effective methods to control overpopulation. Overpopulation causes equally dangerous problem- deforestation. People need more land to cultivate and more woods to fulfill their needs. Deforestation increases problems like soil erosion, siltation of rivers and dams, landslides, etc. The topsoil of Nepal is carried away by the rain and causes heavy floods in India and Bangladesh because of deforestation.

The number of human population is increased because of advances in nutrition, sanitation and health. The rate of deaths was higher in 50 years earlier but nowadays it is constant. That’s why, to control overpopulation, the government must bring various programmes and should run effective campaigns for awareness. The growth in population increases deforestation as well. So, moves towards participatory democracies, financial motivations for preserving forest, introduction of new technologies for recycling, and plantation in left areas can be effective methods to control deforestation. Appropriative technologies also provide support to protect forest. More efficient cooking stoves (smokeless chulo) proved successful in Nepali villages.

Population is the main problem of all environmental problems. We have the knowledge and power to control overpopulation but what is lacking is the powerful and ready hands to serve, and wisdom, courage and compassion to convert this knowledge into reality.

Question Answers

1. Are most living Nobel Prize winner optimistic about the future of humanity? Why or Why not?
ANS:  Yes, most of the Nobel Prize winners are optimistic about the future of humanity. They have warned us about our ill treatment of Nature and they say that we are destroying our planet ourselves. We are polluting and destroying our environment so if we go like this, the world will be spoilt soon. If we stop such wrong doings, the world will become a good and healthier place to live in again. They suggest that if we change our fundamental attitude towards the earth, surely, it will be a safer place for human society and for all living beings.
2. What leads Nissani to the belief that the world is facing an over-population crisis?
ANS: Industrialization helped the population to be increased because people used to live longer and death rate of children was also lower. 10,000 people are being added per hour by us. Nissani is worried by this fact because overpopulation forces us for deforestation , greenhouse effect, acid rain, desertification, soil erosion, landslide etc. So, he thinks, the world is facing really great problems.
3. What prime (main) problems does the writer discuss in his essay?
OR
What remedial measures does the writer suggest to overcome (solve) them?
Ans: The writer discusses about overpopulation and deforestation with their severe consequences in the essay “Two long term problems”. The writer suggested overcoming them. However the situation could be improved by controlling population and pollution, many factors such as modernization, effective family planning measures equal economic, educational and legal opportunities to woman will help to control the rapid population growth. In order to set this world for our future generation, we must save forest by reducing population pressure on it through effective family planning measures and educating people. We may also save the forest by making effective and strict laws with a provision to impose high tax on wood product and provision of incentive for pressuring forest. There should be a provision in the law to punish severely for destroying forest. Massive reforestation, another effective step will benefit the world in conserving biodiversity, pristine wildness and to minimize desertification, flood and weather extremes. By controlling population and saving forest, we may solve this planet for our future generation utilizing our knowledge to convert our wisdom, courage and passion into practice to turn this world into a heaven.

4. What is wrong in Nissani’s view with treeless in Nepal?
OR
According to the writer, what’s wrong with treeless in Nepal?
Ans: The writer expresses his concerned about deforestation crisis in Nepal. Showing devastating effecting of deforestation in Nepal, the writer makes us conscious about the importance of preservation of forest. According to him, destruction of forest in Nepal will cause soil erosion in every rainfall. The eroded soil will be deposited in the rivers making them shallow and gradually causing siltation of rivers and dams. After the deforestation, every heavy rainfall is likely to cause devastating flood in plains of Nepal, India and Bangladesh. The destruction of forest in turn contributes to greenhouse effect irresponsible (that can’t be repair) loss of many thousands species of animals and plants, landslides, draught and weather extremes. Therefore, besides causing serious flood in Nepal, India and Bangladesh deforestation in Nepal in the long run will also damage the quality of life and the ability of Biosphere to sustain life.

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