Malthusian Theory and The Demographic Transition Model.

Malthusian theory is relationship between exponential population growth and arithmetic food supply growth. Malthus thought that with checks we could keep up with population growth. The point of crisis is when the arithmetic food supply line crosses with the exponential population growth line. The point of crisis contains war, famine and disease. This is the point where Earth cannot support more life. Malthus came up with preventative and and positive checks. Preventative checks reduce fertility while positive checks increase mortality rates. Preventative checks include, postponing marriage, restricting the amount of kids someone can have, and birth control. Positive checks include, warfare, famine, and disease. Malthus believed that if we used preventative checks, positive checks would not come into effect. Speaking of birth and death rates the demographic transition model suggests that a country's total population growth rate cycles through stages as that country develops economically. The DTM uses birth and death rates to show how a country develops through 4 stages. In stage 1 the two rates are balanced. In stage 2 they diverge , as the death rate falls relative to the birth rate. In stage 3 they converge again, as the birth rate falls relative to the death rate. Finally in stage 4 the death and birth rates are balanced again but at a much lower level. Population patterns are extremely important to follow as we continue to increase in population. Many may argue that we have hit carrying capacity whereas some say the Earth can handle 1 trillion people. What do you think? Comment down below!