As of the year 2015, the Earth was estimated to contain around 7.3 billion people. Because of the large amount, the world has become overpopulated. Human overpopulation is where too many people live in a certain area. Population experts are concerned of the negative effects that overpopulation will have on the Earth. Government officials should control how many children citizens are allowed to have because overpopulation leads to community-wide starvation, the number of natural resources is declining, and the environment is being destroyed.

To begin, overpopulation leads to community-wide starvation. Community-wide starvation is where high and low populated regions have little to no food. The article "Overpopulation" states, "Many scientists worry there will not be enough food to feed the 9 billion people of the future. The world also has a limited freshwater supply that runs lower each year. Many anticipate the water crisis to worsen as the population grows. Food and water shortages already plague the more highly populated regions of the world such as areas of Africa and Asia" (2). The Earth population is estimated to reach 9 billion around the year 2040. This highlights how when the population increases, the amount of food will be scarce. Another example explains, "As the number of people in an area increases, the amount of resources decreases" (World Population 2). If the population continues to expand, the resources like food and water will be minimal. This elaborates how the population is too substantial to have enough food. Therefore, overpopulation leads to community-wide starvation.

Not only does overpopulation lead to hunger, but the number of natural resources is declining. Natural resources are materials such as minerals, forests, and land that occur in nature and are used for the benefit of economies. An example from the article "World Population" says, "When the resources are gone, the people must look elsewhere. On a global level, a lack of natural resources could pose a serious threat to the human race" (2). Humans need natural resources to survive. This means while overpopulation continues, it slowly kills the human race. A different example states, "Many believe that if the population rate continues to rapidly increase, disastrous consequences may occur. Damage to the environment is usually the main unwanted effect of a densely populated planet. Overpopulation can lead to overconsumption of the world's natural resources such as food, water, and fossil fuels" (Overpopulation 2). If natural resources are used too much, they will eventually be gone. When the resources are gone, humans will have to look towards other things to stay alive. This proves that overpopulation leads to an excessive number of used natural resources. Hence, overpopulation leads to the number of natural resources to decline.

In addition, the environment is being destroyed. An environment is the natural world, which can be affected by human activity. One example explains, "In the twenty-first century, a large world population means more people drive vehicles. This increases the amount of the gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that contributes to global warming" (World Population 2). Global warming is an increase in the overall temperature of the Earth's atmosphere caused by pollutants such as carbon dioxide. Car owners cause global warming. This is because the gas carbon dioxide the vehicle puts off pollutes the air. Another example from the article "World Population" says, "In other cases, humans' need for resources leads to deforestation. This is the cutting down of large parts of forests so people can use the valuable materials contained within them. Since trees eliminate carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for humans to breathe, fewer trees means Earth's healthy air quality will decline" (2). Trees use a process called photosynthesis, where the trees take in carbon dioxide and put off oxygen. While trees are being cut down, the amount of oxygen produced declines. This ruins the environment. Thus, overpopulation destroys the environment.

Some may disagree and claim that government officials should not control how many children citizens should be allowed to have. These people may believe this because some citizens have many children in case some die prematurely. However, having many children can lead to a decline in natural deposit. The article "Overpopulation" explains, "Experts believe the world's supply of natural gas will run out by 2050 if the population rate continues to increase" (2). Most cars use gasoline to run. If natural gasoline is no longer accessible, car owners will have to use electric cars. This proves how overpopulation can cause a drop of natural gas. In summary, overpopulation leads leads to a decrease in natural resources.

In conclusion, government officials should control how many children citizens are allowed to have because overpopulation leads to hunger, the number of natural resources is declining, and the environment is being destroyed. It is clear to see that legislatures should make a law about how many children residents are allowed to have.