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Locate the lines in text that support the title. 'The Ailing Planet'?
The lines that support the title of the chapter are given below.
“The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health.”
“Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment?”
“…the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is ‘critical’ in many of the eighty-eight countries investigated”.
What does the notice 'The world's most dangerous animal' at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, signify?
In the zoo at Lusaka, there is a cage with a notice that reads ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’. However, inside the cage there is no animal but a mirror which shows the visitor's/person's reflection.
The notice signifies that man is the most dangerous being on this planet. He is not only responsible for the deteriorating condition of the planet and depletion of resources but also poses a danger for other living-species. A human being is far more destructive and threatening to the ecology of the Earth than any other being. Thus, the cage in zoo in Lusaka, Zambia, only tries to open our eyes to the aforementioned fact.
How are the earth's principal biological systems being depleted?
According to Mr. Lester R. Brown, there are four principal biological systems of the earth. These systems are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. However, due to the increasing demand of human beings to such an ‘unsustainable’ extent, the productivity of these systems is being hampered. The excessive demand results in deterioration and depletion of these resources. A country where protein is consumed on a large scale, over-fishing is common, which leads to the collapse of fisheries in that area. Grasslands have been turned into deserts and production of crops is decreasing. The forests are destroyed in large proportions to obtain firewood. Depletion of tropical forests has also led to the extinction of several species.
Why does the author aver that the growth of world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?
Over-population is one of the strongest factors responsible for a nation’s poverty and unemployment. It disturbs the earth’s principal biological systems leading to degradation of environment.
The author highlights the problem of over-population by pointing out the mental set-up of the poor who feel more children means more workers to earn money. They do not realise that more children only means more unemployed people. He argues that development is the best contraceptive, which includes spread of education, improvement of health and rise in income.
Spread of education leads to awareness among people, which in turn results in a fall in the ‘fertility’ rate. The author makes a comment which emphasises the never ending circle of population and poverty by asserting that “The choice is really between control of population and the perpetuation of poverty.”
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