VIEW: EARTH CAN SUPPORT EVEN BIGGER POPULATION
Researchers recently announced the earth could actually withstand
up to 200,000 times the current population. They arrived at this figure by
calculating the amount of heat a human body emits, and only at 1.3 million
billion would the earth be too hot to be habitable. And though it would
feel like being in a can of sardines if that figure were ever reached, the
earth is capable of comfortably sustaining a population several times the
current 6.5 billion.
In fact, fertility is actually on the decline worldwide. Though
population has grown, the rate of growth has fallen sharply. Twenty years ago,
the UN projected that population would reach 11.16 billion in 2050, today they
say it will reach only 9.37 billion. Moreover, human population will
stabilize at about 11.5 billion. While this figure is almost twice the current
one, it is hardly claustrophobic.
True, the demands on resources are heavy even now, but this is
more due to the manner in which these resources are being used. In fact,
figures show that a bigger population does not amount to greater
consumption. Over 20% of the world's people in the highest-income countries
account for 86% of total private consumption expenditure — the poorest 20% a
tiny 1.3%. With just 5% of the world's population, the US consumes about
40% of the world's resources. Would you say the US is overpopulated? Concerns
on scarcity of food are equally baseless.
In fact, global food production has actually kept up with
population growth. If people starve in many countries it is not because food is
becoming scarce; it is because those people cannot afford it. We imagine the
prospect of a bigger population only in terms of the lifestyle and technology
of today. By 2050, or even 10 years from now, technology and even human
bodies will have done much to adapt and innovate from the resources available,
and made more inventions for sustenance and comfort.
Questions:
1. How much population can the earth withstand?
2. Though population has grown, what has fallen sharply?
3. What is the text about?
4. What is the current human population on earth?
5. What has been the most publicized technological development?
6. How many storied buildings are predicted?
7. Does the future look bright? Explain.
II. THE
ANIMAL SCHOOL: A FABLE by George Reavis
Once upon a time the animals decided
they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world”
so they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum
consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier
to
administer the curriculum, all the
animals took all the subjects.
The duck was excellent in swimming.
In fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades
in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he
had
to stay after school and also drop
swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his
webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming.
But average was acceptable in school
so nobody worried about that, except the duck.
The rabbit started at the top of the
class in running but had a nervous breakdown because of so much makeup
work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he
developed frustration in the flying
class where his teacher made him
start from the ground up instead of the treetop down. He also developed a
“charlie horse” from overexertion and then got a C in
climbing and D in running.
The eagle was a problem child and was
disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top
of the tree but insisted on using his own way to get there.
At the end of the year, an abnormal
eel that could swim exceeding well and also run, climb and fly a little
had the highest average and was valedictorian.
The prairie dogs stayed out of school
and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging
and burrowing to the curriculum. They
apprenticed their children to a
badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful
private school.
Does this fable have a moral?
Questions:
1. Read the text
carefully and say whether the following statements are true or false. Correct
the false statements.
i. In the animal
school, all the animals opted for their favourite subjects.
ii. The duck was
better than his instructor in swimming.
iii. The rabbit
started at the top of the class in swimming.
iv. The squirrel was
excellent in flying.
v. The eagle was a
problem child and was disciplined severely.
vi. The school
administration would not add running and climbing.
2. Why did the
animals want to start a school?
3. Why were the
duck's webbed feet so worn out?
3. Why did the rabbit
face problems?
