Practise IB ESS HL 2.1.13 by analysing how technology, policy and environmental change remove limits on human populations and reshape ecosystem sustainability.
To what extent are natural limiting factors likely to stabilise human population growth?
Answers may demonstrate:
- understanding concepts \& terminology of natural factors such as disease, pandemics, natural disasters, resource depletion;
carrying capacity;
Boserup and Malthus models;
limiting factors of food production;
water supply;
pollution;
waste management;
carbon capture technology;
renewable energy sources;
catalytic converters;
scrubbers;
GMOS;
vertical farming;
aquaponics;
desalination;
water treatment;
green architecture;
etc
- breadth in addressing and linking a range of limiting factors such as disease;
food \& water supply;
available land for housing;
other density-dependent factors;
natural disasters;
climate/weather conditions;
pollution;
waste management;
urbanisation;
with their likelihood of stabilising human population growth.
- examples of limiting factors in the areas of pollution;
food \& water supply;
diseases;
land availability;
waste management and the ways in which they may be overcome etc
- balanced analysis evaluating extent to which natural limiting factors can be effective or ineffective in stabilising human population growth.
- a conclusion that is consistent with, and supported by analysis and examples given e.g. To a great extent the Boserup model has been supported in that technological development has neutralised many potential natural limiting factors but, rationally, in a system of finite resources there must be an outer limit beyond which we cannot go.
Please see markbands on page 17.