Week 3 | Human Population Discussion

For this discussion board, you must complete the following:

Below are 5 question prompts. Pick two question prompts and provide a thorough response for each. Thorough responses should be 4-6 sentences. Post your responses on the discussion board. Make sure you include which question you are answering! It may not be obvious for each discussion board.

You will also have to respond to two of your peers’ posts. Your responses are intended to add to the conversation and should be about 3-5 sentences. Maybe you agree/disagree with someone’s responses. Explain why that is. Maybe your fellow classmate made a point that you hadn’t thought of, and you can explain what you learned from their post. Maybe you have a thought to add to their post. Did their post prompt a question? Ask it! There are many other response opportunities!

You do not have to address both question prompts in your statement. Do not copy or paraphrase someone else’s comment. You will lose points for doing so.

1. Finally, respond to someone that posted on your thread (your original post). Thank them for their comment AND add something else. You can use strategies from #2 to continue the conversation.

   If the due date is nearing and no one has responded to your thread, you may respond to a third person as outlined in #2. However, I highly recommend students look for threads that have not been commented on yet to reduce the occurrence of no one responding to a thread.

Important Reminder: 

1. Some students may be sensitive to this week’s topic. This may occur for a variety of reasons. You must be respectful of all views, even if they disagree with yours. You may disagree with an idea or viewpoint, but please do not put down anyone for their thoughts or views.

Question Prompts

(You are only required to pick 2 questions to respond to)

1. Estimate the ideal world human population size. How many people would live on Earth? Is this different than humans’ carrying capacity? Explain.

What policies or methods might encourage smaller families in developing countries? Focus on positive changes that encourage CHOOSING smaller families instead of focusing on government-mandated requirements that negatively impact larger families.

In many developing countries, larger families are desired, while developed countries tend to prefer smaller families. What factors influence these decisions?

A declining population rate has its own problems. Discuss what issues may arise for the country as it transitions to a falling fertility rate.

Who do you think has a bigger role in curbing the environmental effects of human population growth: the countries with high fertility rates or the countries with high consumption rates? In other words, to alleviate negative environmental impacts, should we focus more on reducing excessive consumption or high growth rates? Explain.