The Humans Sphere

As humans we have an effect on the earth. “Carrying capacity is a scientific term that defines the number of individuals an environment can support without degrading a population’s ecosystem.” (Robertson, P. 41) Each area has a different carrying capacity. It also depends on the patterns of consumptions of the humans living there. For example, New York Cities carrying capacity is rather low because they do not have many resources being used but on the other side they are being used at a much higher rate. While In Montana, there are far fewer people using the resources and resources have the ability to replenish themselves.

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I should have known, yet I was still shocked to read in the book that if the world lived like the United States and Canada we would need 4.5 earths to provide the resources we need. Also that if we did not add to the population. If we added to the population and continued to live like the US or Canada we would need to increase the number of earths.

Through out time we have had different stages in our population that have lead us to the seven billion people that are population our spaceship earth. Throughout the decades we have learned to use the resources on earth to change the way we cultivate. By the industrial revolution, humans had learned to harvest fossil fuels to make heat and other goods.

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As we plan and look to the future the world’s population is only going, provided any natural disasters or plaques break out. The book said “If cities double in size by spreading out over agricultural land, the impact on the food production will be significant. If cities limit their physical size but grow in density, drastic changes to the infrastructure for power, water, transpiration and housing will be needed.” (Robertson, P. 44). I believe this to be one of the wises and most incite for sentences in the book. By developing our agricultural lands will lower our food production, thereby lowering our food supply. While at the same time raising our population. That is recipe for disaster. On the other hand, if we limit where we will can build, to a reasonable degree that involves comprise and flexibility on both sides. It will require us to be even more innovate and creative to create a city of the future. This ties right into one of the Principe’s of the Earth Charter “Secure Earth’s county and beautify for present and future generations”. (The Earth Charter)

Honestly it reminds me of Walt Disney’s plant for EPCOT. He wanted to create a Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The idea of suitability was at the forefront. He wanted to create a place where people lived and worked together.

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With some countries not having sufficient water or land, they are leasing or buying up blocks of land in more developing countries to help the replace what they do not have. According to the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization “we believe that such land deals can be a win-win situation.” (Robertson, P. 56)