What is Ecological Problems?

Sara.ginsberg wrote:This question took me a very long time to crack, and I'm still only partially convinced that the right answer is right. Some help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Sara,

I found this one a bit tricky, too, but here is how I understand it.

P1: Global ecological problems can be explained by the problem of balancing supply + demand.

P2: Supply = restricted by earth's limitations.

P3: Demand = human; therefore, no limits on POTENTIAL human demand.

P4: This natural imbalance btw supply and demand = source of some global problems.

Conclusion: Solution to such problems = reducing CURRENT human demand.

If you look closely at P3, it talks about "potential demands" being unlimited; the conclusion, however, argues that we must reduce "current human demands".

So one might ask: "why MUST we reduce current human demands in order to ameliorate such global problems?

That is, current human demand and potential human demand are two different things.

(C) suggests that current human demand, like potential human demand, exceeds the available supply. Thus, there is an imbalance btw supply and demand, which inevitably leads to global ecological problems.

Moreover, since supply is "confined by earth's limitation" (i.e. we can't increase supply to meet all of the demands), we must decrease the current human demand in order to reach that state of equilibrium btw supply and demand.

On a side note, when I did this question, I missed the scope shift from "potential demand" to "current demand", but I was able to arrive at the correct answer by eliminating the other 4.

A) Contradicts the stimulus, which calls the imbalance btw supply and demand a "natural tendency".

B) is stated in the stimulus, so it can't be an assumption (i.e. unstated premise).

D) The author actually seems to believe the opposite; that is, the author seems to be suggesting that by reducing current human demand, we can get closer to that balance btw supply and demand.

I'd also be very careful with answer choices, on necessary assumption questions, with such extreme language.