Critical Perspectives on the Population Debate

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Issues of sustainability have been the topic of civil, popular and academic discourse for centuries. The debates in this area of discourse reflect a range of underlying perspectives and worldviews. Fo... r this essay, you will research and critically examine some of these. Population is a global issue - the world’s population now exceeds 7 billion - giving rise to a broad range of impacts (positive and negative). How the issue of 'overpopulation' should be understood and addressed is hotly contested. The world’s population currently exceeds 7 billion, and counting. Rapid population growth and its likely impacts (i.e. consumption of resources, environmental degradation etc.) have been the subject of on-going debates for many years. In this short essay, you will examine the notion of a “Population Crisis". This will be explored within the context of the major perspectives discussed in class related to understanding/framing sustainability and ecological problems. To prepare for this essay (and in order to do well) you need to : ● read all three (3) of the articles listed below, and ● watch the documentary: Shariatmadri, H. (Director). (2009). How many people can live on Planet Earth? [Documentary] United Kingdom: BBC [which can viewed online through the Library collection]. Journal Articles [accessed via the reading list]: Emel, J., Bridge, G. and Krueger, R. (2002). The Earth as Input: Resources. In Taylor, P. J., Watts, M., & Johnston, R. J. (Eds.) Geographies of global change: Remapping the world in the late twentieth century (pp. 377-390). Blackwell. [Course Required Reading] Chenoweth, J., & Feitelson, E. (2005). Neo-Malthusians and Cornucopians put to the test: Global 2000 and The Resourceful Earth revisited. Futures, 37(1), 51-72. [Showcases a comparative analysis of the two core perspectives] Van den Bergh, J. C. (2001). Ecological economics: themes, approaches, and differences with environmental economics. ENS5020 Perspectives on sustainability - Semester 1 (S1-01) - 2020 revisited. Futures, 37(1), 51-72. [Showcases a comparative analysis of the two core perspectives Documentary - can be access through the Library Online Portal. The BBC Horizon documentary “How many people can live on planet Earth?” (Shariatmadari, 2009) When reviewing the documentary, you should reflect and consider which perspectives, as covered in Emel et al. 2002, are represented in it. This will assist you in formulating an argument on which to base your essay. Essay Task*: Having read the three papers listed above and watched the documentary, you are required to undertake a comparative analysis of two different perspectives on sustainability that are described in Emel et al. (2002). You will use the notion of ‘overpopulation’ as a case study issue to examine the key features of the perspectives you select. To do this, you should identify how your chosen perspectives represent the idea of ‘overpopulation’ and potential ways to address it, and critique these where appropriate. This will require broader reading to provide evidence that supports your analysis. You are required to cite at least 8 peer-reviewed references to support your statements/arguments, using APA referencing style throughout. The Reading List for weeks 1-2 serves as a starting point for your research. You should consult Research and Learning Online to ensure you fully understand this task, especially the keywords analysis, examine, and in all academic essay writing, to be critical and present an argument. *Note: You may not choose to compare Neo-Malthusianism with Cornucopianism, or Environmental Economics with Ecological Economics, as these comparisons are contained within the preparatory readings. Any other combination is acceptable. Presentation requirements: Your essay should be well-presented and clearly structured. Please ensure you have numbered all pages. You may use subheadings (sparingly), but these are not compulsory. Your name, student number and essay title should appear on the first page of your document. You should submit your file in PDF form using the dropbox below, with a clearly labelled file name (eg YOURNAME_ENS5020_AssessmentA.PDF). [Show More]

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