Jane Jackson wrote in part ...
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Is there anywhere in the large introductory course where we can reach large
numbers of students with discussions of the problems of growing populations
and sustainability? This question gains great urgency from the fact that
we live in a world that worships growth and that talks enthusiastically
about "sustainable growth," which is a clear impossibility.
We know we are facing limits; we deny this critical fact. Yet the
population continues to grow and physicists who have the ability to
understand the problems, by and large don't speak out in our classrooms or
in the public that we serve. We pride ourselves on our critical thinking,
yet most of us fail to apply our critical thinking abilities to the
contemporary problems of society.
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Constant population growth is the 800 LB gorilla sitting in the corner of
the living that everyone is ignoring. We were privledged to have Al give is
talk at our school about 5 or 6 years ago. Even he, at that time, when it
came to the inescapable conclusions of growth and its relationship to
population flinched and didn't go on to say the obvious.
Perhaps he's more outspoken now. But I guess the reason is much the same as
why I don't talk about it much in class (something I'm not proud of).
Honest discussions immediately bring in the concept of self-imposed limits;
which is a political as well as a discussion non-starter; one also
immediately gets embroiled in religious discussions rather quickly; again a
non-starter, and quickly become susceptible to accusations of imposing
religious and/or political beliefs into the introductory classroom.
I'm personally rather pessimistic about all this, and suspect that natural
law will be the classroom which brings this home to roost, rather than
Physics 101.
Joel Rauber
(an ostrich whose head may not be in the sand, but someone who isn't doing
enough to pull other heads out of the sand)