In about 30 years there will be 10 billion people on the planet. Most of them will probably be middle class and want things like cars, homes, and Toblerone bars. How do you provide for that many people? Well, there are basically two answers.
By the year 2050, almost three billion more humans will be on the planet. But how can we feed and house and quench the thirst of 10 billion people? In a new book, the journalist Charles Mann profiles two influential thinkers with radically different answers to the question of survival. One believed in the need to limit our consumption or risk depleting Earth’s resources. The other said technological innovation will save us. Mann joins us Wednesday to discuss these dueling visions for humanity’s future. (Rebroadcast)
Charles C. Mann is a correspondent for the Atlantic, Science, and Wired and has also written fro Fortune, the New York Times, and Vanity Fair. He's the author of the book 1491 and 1493. His new book is called The Wizard and the Prophet [Indie bookstores|Amazon|Audible].
