HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
New modes of communication—including radio communication, cellular communication, and the internet—as well as transportation, including air travel and shipping containers, reduced the problem of geographic distance. Energy technologies, including the use of petroleum and nuclear power, raised productivity & increased the production of material goods. Also, more effective forms of birth control gave women greater control over fertility, transformed reproductive practices, and contributed to declining rates of fertility in much of the world. In addition, the Green Revolution & commercial agriculture increased productivity & sustained the earth’s growing population as it spread chemically & genetically modified forms of agriculture. Lastly, Medical innovations, including vaccines and antibiotics, increased the ability of humans to survive and live longer lives.