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Course: Big History Project > Unit 9
Lesson 4: Changing Economies | 9.3ACTIVITY: This Threshold Today
Purpose
Threshold 8 is both fascinating and timely because discoveries and exciting new innovations are being announced all the time. You are living in this threshold, and the research that you do in this activity will help reinforce that fact.
Process
Use the Internet to search for news stories about the Modern Revolution. A short list of possible topics might include: population growth, fossil fuels, the growth of cities, and climate change. Here are some links to get you started.
- How Climate Change is Rapidly Fueling Super Hurricanes
- Climate Change Reshaping How Heat Moves Around Globe
- Climate Change Creates a New Migration Crisis for Bangladesh
- New Mathematical Model to Save Endangered Species
- Overpopulation Is an Existential Threat to Humanity
- Climate Concerns Are Pushing Oil Majors to Look Beyond Fossil Fuels
For Further Discussion
In the Questions Area below, do the following:
1. Post a link to your favorite article that you found.
2. List one way that the article connects Threshold 8 to today.
3. Comment on someone else’s link, adding another way that their article connects Threshold 8 to today.
Want to join the conversation?
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/01/world_population_may_actually_start_declining_not_exploding.html
I learned in this that there was an overpopulation but that we need to keep growing the population to make sure there isn't a drastic drop. This interconnects with threshold 8 because threshold 8 is about growing and connecting all the people through different world zones and the more people there are the more connection there will be.(4 votes)
It also connects threshold eight with today because it suggests that if innovation and energy increase stop growing, then the population will stop growing too. This connects to threshold eight because threshold eight suggests that the population grew because the energy and innovation also grew.(1 vote)
- http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/01/world_population_may_actually_start_declining_not_exploding.html
This article address the issue of over population versus the real issue which may be a dramatic decline in population size in the years to come. This connects to threshold 8 in that in this modern era the population has soared in number without foreseeable end however in recent studies it shows that in fear of our growing our planets resources most humans have been making efforts to decrease our population size which in fact, if the trend continues on a global and exponential rate our species could face extinction, definitely something to think about when planning families.(2 votes) - http://science.time.com/2012/12/03/why-seeing-is-believing-usually-when-it-comes-to-climate-change/
This article address the issue of believers and skeptics of climate change . This connects to threshold 8 because people are concerned about the very real danger it poses to the world now and in the future. Serves show that just 66% of Americans understand that global warming is happening, and half of those people are either “somewhat sure” or “not sure at all.” Researchers report that people that have personally experienced the effects of climate change tend to be believe that climate change is happening.(1 vote) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJzrIKtKok
This is a great way of learning about threshold 8.(1 vote) - https://www.bighistoryproject.com/en/thresholds/8
It's literally an article on all of the thresholds and how they are all interconnecting.(1 vote)