Topics

I. Patterns of Resource Consumption

1. Evaluation of the ecological footprint as a measure of the relationship between population size and resource consumption
2. International variations in the size of the ecological footprint
3. Two opposing views (neo‑Malthusian and anti‑Malthusian) of the relationship between population size and resource consumption

II. Changing Patterns of Energy Consumption

1. Global patterns and trends in the production and consumption of oil
2. Geopolitical and environmental impacts of these changes in patterns and trends.
3. The changing importance of other energy sources

III. Conservation Strategies

1. The reduction of resource consumption by conservation, waste reduction, recycling and substitution
2. Evaluation of a strategy at a local or national scale aimed at reducing the consumption of one resource

Resources

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Definitions

Ecological Footprint
The theoretical measurement of the amount of land and water a population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its waste under prevailing technology.