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Answer each question with a minimum of 70 words per question:

1)

Human Population and Carrying Capacity

Population doubling time is estimated to be every 70 years (say: every generation!). That alone is staggering. We need to compare this fact with the earth's carrying capacity, limiting factors and 'keeping the balance' for all species and natural resources. These processes apply to plants, wildlife and human societies. Here is an interesting link for a general background and commonly used terms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation and here is a link that shows you the actual current census ! : http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

Once you understand these terms, do an informal survey of a place of your choice and state what carrying capacity or factors of limitations are threatening both people and species. Give examples. Be specific! Some species are extinct, while others are threatened by human overpopulation, consumption and habitat destruction.

The same concerns about overcrowding apply to some human communities. Some towns limit the amount of growth, as water or other natural resources are limited, while other towns cannot grow due to human induced hazards.

What is a ‘hot spot’ for population crisis (places having too many people and not enough resources to support them) around the world? What are the challenges and possible solutions? To answer these questions, you can visit the United Nations Population Fund:http://www.unfpa.org/ or find your own website. How do these conditions affect the standard of living or quality of life? What measuring techniques can help in planning? In your report state what you feel is the biggest challenge to population growth in your chosen area. Be specific. Use reputable websites as references.

2)

Go to http://www.zeri.org or try this location: http://zerilearning.org/ If this site is being updated, if it is unavailable, or want to see another resource, try this to compare go to http://www.sustainable.org/

With the world's population expanding, the need for efficient and sustainable food, housing, energy and materials production is very high. You may be encouraged to find out about this system called ZERI! What do you think? Pick a project and discuss its benefits. How does ZERI fit in with sustainability? Explain!

There are a few other neat websites for adult eco consumers, http://ge.ecomagination.com/ . Has anyone heard of microbial fuel cells or bio plastics? Try Google on these topics and see what you find out! What do you think?? Perhaps you will find another you like and want to share ....