1. Together, the two viewpoints by J. Kenneth Smail and Max Singer constitute a broad prediction of population growth in the twenty-first century: Population will continue to rise dramatically until around 2050, at which time the number of humans on earth will begin to decrease sharply. The viewpoint by Barbara Crossette emphasizes that population decline will be most severe in richer, industrialized nations. Assuming that both these predictions are valid, which trend—the increase or decrease—do you feel is cause for more alarm, and why?
2. William B. Schwartz warns that medical advances that prolong life are a double-edged sword, since they could lead to overpopulation. He suggests that government policy makers direct medical research funding toward work that increases quality of life rather than its length. Do you agree with this proposal, or do you believe that the conquest of fatal diseases such as cancer...