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\centerline{MONT 104N -- Modeling the Environment}
\centerline{Third ``Debates'' Day}
\centerline{November 28, 2012}
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{\it Presenters}
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Chung Nguyen, Caroline O'Day, Mike Ortlieb, Anabella Perez, Chris Simpson
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{\it The Human Population of Planet Earth}
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Many of the modeling techniques we have discussed have been applied
to questions about human populations as well as animal and plant populations.
Understanding what will happen to the human population of the Earth over
the next several centuries is a critical component of understanding 
and controlling our impact on
the planet and its ecosystems, climate, and so forth.  

There is an interesting collection of positions staked out in the New York Times 
{\it Room For Debate} blog posted on May 4, 2011 (this appeared before the 
best estimates for the total human population reached 7 billion in October, 2011 -- a milestone, 
to say the least!):
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\centerline{\tt http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/05/04}
\centerline{\tt /can-the-planet-support-10-billion-people}
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(this should be all entered as one web address; it's broken over two lines
to fit on the page here)
including several touching directly on issues we are considering in this course.  
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{\it Assignment}
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For this ``debate,'' I think it will again be a good plan for each of you to take 
the position of one of the six contributors to the New York
Times blog, look into who your people are, what their backgrounds are, why
they might hold the opinions they do, and then research
some of the details behind what they are saying.  
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Everyone can use the computer and projector in our classroom
to display any graphical or numerical information they would like
to bring in.  
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The natural way to do this will be to have each of you take one position
and plan for each person to speak for about 4 or 5 minutes, with time for
a follow-up discussion after everyone has spoken.  Here is a rough
idea about how to divide things up   
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\item{1.}  Chung  -- Jamais Cascio, How 10 Billion Can Survive
\item{2.}  Caroline  -- Jason Clay, More Efficient Food Production
\item{3.}  Mike -- Joel Cohen, We Can Change the Future
\item{4.}  Anabella -- Warren Sanderson, Educate the Masses  
\item{5.}  Chris -- Brad Allenby, Technology's Impact on Population
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(Note that I am leaving out the post on the specific problems of the 
continent of Africa.  If you want to use some of the ideas presented
there for examples, though, feel free.)

I would like to meet with the whole team before class on 
Wednesday, December 5 to see where you are and see if you have any 
questions about how to make your cases.  I'm free basically during 
office hours 10am - 12 noon on Monday, December 3 and all 
morning on Tuesday, December 4.  
\bye 

