Discussion Board: Population, Urbanization and the Environment
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Directions:
We are in the final week of the semester! There are numerous resources posted for this week, so there is more than one way to approach answering each question. This discussion forum is structured to help you address some of the big ideas from each section of the reading: population, urbanization and environment.
I have included a series of short videos (all under 15 minutes) to help you “see” the material presented in your module. These topics are so important to our modern society, and to the world, that I wanted to provide additional learning material for you all this week. I’ve also included Reflection questions to help you capture your thoughts after watching each video.
For homework this week – select 3 videos and share your responses to the reflection questions. Your post to each video should be at least 3-5 sentences.
WATCH: World Population Video Links to an external site.(this video connects to chapter sections on Population and Environment)
Reflection: Based on the video, what do you think about “overpopulation”? How long did it take the planet to reach its first 1 billion people? How long did it take the planet to reach 7 billion? What are the concerns about overpopulation? What reaction(s) do you have to the video?
Go here Links to an external site.if you want to explore world population in more detail
Links to an external site.WATCH: Population Pyramids: Powerful Predictors of the FutureLinks to an external site.
Reflection: How do population pyramids help us understand the internal workings of a society? What are the two key social factors used to build population pyramids? What story do these factors tell about where a society has been, where it is, and where it’s headed? What is the demographic transition theory? What is the relationship between population growth/decline and industrialization?
WATCH: Will Saving Poor Children Lead to Overpopulation? Links to an external site.(this video connects to chapter sections on Population, Demography and Demographic Transition Theory. Gapminder, the resource for this video, is a great resource for visualizing quantitative data. Explore the website at your own leisure!)
Reflection: What do you think about Hans Rosling’s recommendation: that by helping the poorest children across the world, humans will better solve the overpopulation issue? How does this compare to Thomas Malthus’ theory of overpopulation, and positive/preventive checks (see “Malthusian Theory” in chapter reading 20.1)?
WATCH: Urbanization and the Development of Cities Across 10,000 years Links to an external site.(this video connects to chapter section on Urbanization)
Reflection: how did cities develop? Why did people begin migrating from farms to cities? What is the future of cities? How will cities need to change to accommodate this growth?
WATCH: What Does it Mean to Be a Refugee? Links to an external site.(this connects to chapter section on Urbanization)
Define internally displace person, refugee, migrant and asylum seeker. What prompts these forms of migration?
WATCH: The Link Between Climate Change, Health and Poverty by Cheryl Holder Links to an external site.(this video connects to Health, Urbanization, Climate Change and Environmental Racism)
Reflection: What is the relationship between climate change, health and poverty?
WATCH: The Disarming Case to Act Right Now on Climate change by Greta Thunberg Links to an external site.(this video connects to Climate Change)
Reflection: You have probably heard of Greta Thunberg, as she has become a symbol of youth activism and climate change. Reflect on the case she’s made for action on climate change. What points do you find most convincing?