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Difficulty: EasyDebates about the Environment after 1900

"If the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity."

—Donella Meadows et al., The Limits to Growth, 1972

Which of the following global developments in the twentieth century best explains the concerns expressed in the passage?

  1. A
    The spread of the Green Revolution, which successfully replaced industrial farming with environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
  2. B
    The complete homogenization of global culture, which eliminated regional resource management traditions.
  3. The rapid expansion of industrial production and population growth, which intensified consumption of natural resources.Answer
  4. D
    The development of steam power during the First Industrial Revolution, which initiated the global shift away from agricultural economies.

Answer

The rapid expansion of industrial production and population growth, which intensified consumption of natural resources.
The correct answer is correct because the passage reflects the growing global debates in the late twentieth century regarding the ecological limits of rapid industrialization and population growth. These factors led to unprecedented consumption of fossil fuels, water, and forests, prompting warnings from scientists and researchers about future resource exhaustion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided source to identify the core argument.
The text warns of 'limits to growth' due to trends in population, industrialization, pollution, and resource depletion.
Understanding the stimulus is necessary to connect it to the correct historical context.
2
Contextualize the source within twentieth-century history.
The post-1900 period saw exponential growth in global population and industrial output, causing significant environmental strain.
This links the specific primary source details to broader historical trends of globalization and environmental degradation.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one matching this context.
The option emphasizing the rapid expansion of industrial production and population growth matches the core message of the passage.
The correct answer must explain the historical cause of the concerns about ecological limits after 1900.

Key Concept

Debates about the environment and resource consumption in the twentieth century.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Debates about the Environment after 1900

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