Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, 2021a

3 Population 53
population cost of the demographic transition in the context of
Problem 23?
25. Considering Figure 3.11 in the context of a trajectory (as in Figure
3.12), would it appear that most countries in the world have begun
the demographic transition? Have very few of them started? Is it
about half-<strong>and</strong>-half? Justify your answer.
Hint: think about what the graph would
look like in these scenarios.
26. Express your view about what you learn from Figure 3.17. Doyou
sense that the prescribed trajectory is realistic? If so, justify. If not,
what about it bothers you? What does this mean about the goal of
bringing the (growing) world to “advanced” status by the end of
this century? Are we likely to see this happen?
27. Make as compelling an argument as you can for why we should
promote the demographic transition worldwide for those countries
who have not yet “arrived” at the lower-right corner of Figure 3.10.
What are the positive rewards?
28. Make as compelling an argument as you can for why pursuit of the
demographic transition may be ill-advised <strong>and</strong> potentially create
rather than alleviate hardship. What are the downsides?
29. List the pros <strong>and</strong> cons a young person without children might
face around the decision to have a biological child of their own 45
Consider not only personal contexts, but external, global ones as
well, <strong>and</strong> thoughts about the future as you perceive it. It does not
matter which list is longer or more compelling, but it is an exercise
many will go through at some point in life—although maybe not
explicitly on paper.
45: Assume for the purpose of the question
that it is biologically possible.
30. Do you think governments <strong>and</strong>/or tribal laws have any business
setting policy around child birth policies? If so, what would you
consider to be an acceptable form of control? If not, what other
mechanisms might you propose for limiting population growth
(or do you even consider that to be a priority or at all appropriate)?
© 2021 T. W. Murphy, Jr.; Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Lic.;
Freely available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/energy_ambitions.