Read Chapter 2 and watch the two videos.
Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOaI5XRzuN8
Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLmKfXwWQtE
After (hopefully) reading Chapter Two, watching the two population videos, and exploring the world map by population, you should have a basic understanding of population issues. Now I'm interested in your thoughts. Answer the following questions. Provide thoughtful answers with as much specificity as you can.
1. Population Growth
The green revolution averted multiple disasters, but our global population is still growing. Current median projections are for global populations to level out at between 11 and 12 billion people by 2100. But some studies suggest this could go above 15 billion and keep climbing. These are hard problems with few easy solutions. What can people/governments do about population growth? Can we keep relying on food production/innovation to keep up? How can governments create policies around such a sensitive, personal issue without straying--as some countries have--into deeply unethical territory?
2. Age Distribution
Age is another huge issue. For many wealthier countries, older citizens are becoming a large chunk of the population, which puts a major strains on services, healthcare, and economies. Again, these are hard questions with no clear answers. What do you think people/governments can do to reasonably solve or mitigate the problems related to age imbalances in their populations?
3. What are you Curious about?
I hope you've been able to read the two chapters from the book. If not, I hope you've approached this course theme with some modicum of curiosity about geography and identity. My question now is: what are your questions? What do you not yet know that you'd like to know? This could be about a very specific place or wider, more general questions about the globe. Basically, what are you curious about in relation to our topic, either in areas we've covered so far or areas we have not? Please write out two questions.