However, some believe that waste and over-consumption, especially by wealthy nations, is
putting more strain on the environment than overpopulation.
Over-consumption is a situation where resource-use has outpaced the sustainable
capacity of the ecosystem. A prolonged pattern of overconsumption leads to inevitable
environmental degradation and the eventual loss of resource bases. Generally the
discussion of overconsumption parallels that of overpopulation; that is the more people,
the more consumption of raw materials to sustain their lives. Currently, the developed
nations of the world consume at a rate of 32, while the rest of the developing worlds’ 5.5
billion people consume at a rate closer to 1."
The theory was coined to augment the discussion of overpopulation, which reflects issues
of carrying capacity without taking into account per capita consumption, by which
developing nations are evaluated to consume more than their land can support. Green
parties and the ecology movement often argue that consumption per person, or ecological
footprint, is typically lower in poor than in rich nations.
United States uses almost double the resources that it produces. United States pulls
from other countries to produce the goods for its population to consume. The goods are