The IPAT Model

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The IPAT Model Student’s Name Course Instructor Date

2 The IPAT Model The IPAT equation studies the relationship that the population, affluence and technological advancements of a country have on its environment. China, the largest developing country in the world, has made great strides to achieve major economic development. However, rapid growth has been achieved at the expense of the country's environmental deterioration. Over the last few decades, China's environmental problems have intensified. They range from water shortages, air pollution, water pollution, soil erosion, and desertification. The massive air pollution in China comes from both the combustion of coal and motor vehicle emissions.

The current level of air pollution is similar to that of a developed country in the 1960s.

Air pollution poses several risks to the country's citizens, such as; respiratory diseases and premature mortality. The use of coal and biomass fuels in many homes in the areas of China can be attributed to massive indoor pollution. Additionally, water pollution affects many households, especially in the rural areas. Other significant environmental issues in China are climate change, the improper disposal of electronic waste and soil pollution from heavy metals. Essentially, China’s population, technological advancements and affluence contribute significantly to its negative environmental impact.

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3 Population China is the most populated country in the world, with a population size of 1.4 billion people and a population density of 153 people per square kilometer (Kahn, & Zheng, 2019). Its massive population plays a major role in accelerating the rate of deterioration of the environment, such that there is constant massive pollution. A large population negatively impacts the environment by placing demand on industries to produce more goods, for more fish to be harvested from the seas, and for more food to be cultivated. This causes the depletion of natural resources and the emission of toxic carbon dioxide levels into the atmosphere.

Affluence Over the last two decades, the rapid economic growth in China has resulted in an improvement in the quality of life for a considerable share of the population. They are willing to pay more to acquire better quality housing, food, clothes and electronics. The changing lifestyles and increase in consumption have had a direct impact on the environment because of the pressure placed on natural resources and the destruction of ecosystems in the process of production and manufacturing. With a population that has crossed the billionth mark, China’s rapid urbanization, motorization and industrialization have led to it becoming the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world. In China’s IPAT model, affluence factor contributes most significantly to the rate of pollution.

Technology For a highly industrialized country that produces most of the consumer electronics used globally, China’s laws on the reduction of carbon dioxide emission are not stringent enough. The domestic consumption of technology is very high. People use technology for lighting, cooking, household appliances work and entertainment. As the country continues to grow economically,

4 its technology consumption will increase, thus, it requires a large-scale improvement in its manufacturing methods to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions (Myers, & Kent, 2005).

China has a population of 1.4 billion people, and contributes to 18.4% of the world’s total population. From 1950, the population has more than doubled and it was the first country in the world to hit the 1 billion people mark in the 1980s (Wu & Chang, 2020). The population continues to grow despite the three-decades-old limit on the number of children a couple could have. The impact of the large population is evident on the rapid rate of environmental deterioration. The demand for water resources, energy resources and land continue to grow each year, Because of the toxic industrial emissions, the number of people diagnosed with cancer is relatively high compared to other less polluted countries.

China is one of the most industrialized countries in the world, and with it comes economic development. In 2020, the GDP was US$ 15.66 trillion (Shapiro, 2016). As a result of its strong economy, the number of the affluent population and the middle class has been rising steadily for the last two decades. The more affluent the population is, the higher its consumption and subsequently, the depletion of resources.

China is a technologically advanced and highly industrialized nation. Multinational corporations around the world outsource their production to China. It produces various modern technological products for domestic use and exportation as well.

Conclusion Of the three factors in the IPAT model, affluence has the highest environmental impact in China. The wealthy and middle classes have a high purchasing power and make up 67% of the population, which is approximately 939 million people (Shapiro, 2016). Each product produced and consumed has wide-ranging effects on the environment. Their growing consumption of these

5 classes, coupled with their vast population size, cause significant environmental damage. A large population, by itself, does not affect the environment negatively; otherwise, countries that have a high population such as Nigeria or Sudan would have massive environmental degradation. It is the consumption patterns and manufacturing activities of the large population that have a negative environmental impact.

References Kahn, M.E., & Zheng, S. (2019). Blue Skies Over Beijing: Economic Growth and the Environment in China. Princeton University Press.

Myers, N., & Kent, J. (2005). The new consumers: the influence of affluence on the environment. Choice Reviews Online, 42(08), 42-4758-42-4758. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.42-4758 Shapiro, J. (2016). China's Environmental Challenges. John Wiley & Sons.

Wu, J., & Chang, I. (2020). Environmental Management in China: Policies and Institutions.

Springer Singapore.