Course Title: Extra CreditCh. 1 Pg.: Do you think current worldwide population growth and economic growth are sustainable? Why or why not?Word Count: 247Sustainability refers to the ability to meet the requirements of the present population without limiting the ability of the future generation to satisfy their own requirements (p. 5). Although this is the conventional way of viewing sustainability, there are questions regarding what needs sustenance, the reason for sustenance, and the present prevailing values. Some experts attach value on the future while others only consider the present. On reasons for sustenability, there are various dimensions, and these include environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The world population currently exerts a lot of pressure on natural resources, ecosystems, and thus reduces the quality of your environment. Population increase also creates competition that brings inequity, poor health conditions, and low living standards. Unless the trends on resource extraction are checked, most experts believe the earth will run out of resources. However, issues of sustainability elicit more questions than answers, and in most cases tend to conflict. Firstly, preserving the present environment harms a section of the present population. Limiting the raw materials going to the industries reduces production output, leading to higher cost of production. The higher cost of production leads to higher prices of various products that are not affordable to greater majority. Low production levels also reduce the available job opportunities. With very few jobs, it is not possible to alleviate poverty. From this perspective, even the Millennium Development Goals appear untenable and conflicting. Instead, the idea of poverty should receive more attention compared to environmental conservation and preservation.Ch. 2 Pg.: How forest destruction related to declining biological diversity?Word Count: 285Forests destruction contributes to declining biological diversity. From the perspective of Ecological Worldviews, human beings should respect life and equality of all species. The view demands respect for nature and all the living organisms therein, forests included. This Worldview hinges on the fact that forests provide cover for most wild animals and even forest people. Moreover, forests also enhance the level of precipitation in an area. Other numerous uses such as timber harvesting, recycling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and provision of herbs or fruits are also vital. In this regard, the reduction in forest cover is associated with numerous consequences. These consequences include extinction of rare species, reduction in amount of precipitation, rising cost of paper materials, desertification, and green house effect (p.2). Some of these concerns are so urgent that most nations have launched campaigns aimed restoring forest cover. The nations on earth continue to bear the pain of forest degradation; however, countries with advanced technology and more affluent populations contribute more to the forest destruction. Moreover, more consumption means these countries produce more wastes such as oil spills and acidic rain from the toxic industrial waste gases that lead to the destruction of various plant species. However, the Traditional or Western Worldview differs diametrically from the previous Ecological Worldview. The Western Worldview concentrates more on superiority of human beings over nature, and exploitation of nature for wealth creation. This line of thought generally suggests that human beings should exploit the various resources available to their own advantage without conservational limitations. Further, this view reinforces the idea that exploitation of nature should aim at meeting the increasing production and consumption levels. It totally disregards the limited and non-renewable nature of most resources.