Discuss the sustainability of economic growth. Is it possible for economic growth to continue forever? Why or why not?
• What are some influences on the rate of population growth? Can population continue to grow indefinitely? Why or why not?
• Choose two countries, one in the developing world and one in the industrialized world. What are the rates of population growth in each country? Discuss the factors affecting the rate in each country.
• Compare and contrast industrial agriculture and sustainable agriculture. What might happen to the economy and population of the United States if the government passed laws severely restricting one type of agriculture more than the other?
• In the face of a growing world population and the pressure that growth places on the natural resources of Earth, do you think we ultimately will have a choice about whether or not to adopt genetically modified (GM) crops, livestock and other food resources? If we do not adopt GM food resources, how might we produce enough food to feed an ever-growing population?