BIOL 350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Runaway Train, Thomas Robert Malthus, Child Mortality
20 Oct 2016
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Don(cid:495)t have to cut down trees for fuel. Child mortality rates down: unprecedented rates of human population growth. The have not(cid:495)s revolted: many died. An essay on the principle of population. Thought we reached carrying capacity at 1800s. Was unaware of oil: grand mission of civilization. Using stored sun: energy ouput, solar energy input in the atmosphere. Green plant started using co2 for biomass: decomposition created small cycle. Then life got trapped through geographic changes: fixed carbon as fossil fuel. Then humans evolved (cid:494)storage of ancient light(cid:495: invention of agriculture increased biomass. Domestication of animals and plants: ate animals and plants. Then we discovered fossil fuels: carrying capacity skyrocketed, co2 burned into the atmosphere. Increased food, increased population positive feedback: runaway train of civilization: Starvation and disease: agriculture and medicine. Slide (cid:498)a relentless reach for higher carrying capacity(cid:499) oct 17: good summary of history of human. 3 growth pulses in population on log scale devastation.
