Reading the Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov has been one of my first experiences with science fiction. Since the book was released in the mid 1950’s, it has an interesting view on what a possible earth could look like. My desired field of study in biology is evolution and ecology, so the topic of climate changes, rationing, and population expansion is very real to the field I am interested in. The idea of 8 billion people on the planet was probably alien to Asimov in 1854, when the population of the world was only 2.7 billion (the current population of China is 1.4 billion, or 52% of that). The current world population is estimated at 7.4 billion, as of August 2016, and it does not seem to me like we are approaching the point where we need to live in caves of steel. However, the estimated carrying capacity of the Earth is about 10 billion, which will be reached in our lifetime. The fact of the matter is that we are changing the Earth at a rate that has only been seen a few previous times, which happened to be the other 5 times that we had major extinctions on this planet. A major extinction is defined as more than 50% of species of life going extinct on earth, losing massive amounts of biodiversity. One of the hottest topics in science right now is how we are pushing Earth to the brink of the sixth mass extinction. The industrial revolution combined with modern technology (cars specifically) has released enough gas into the atmosphere to raise the temperate of our atmosphere, raise the temperature of the ocean, and dissolve massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the ocean creating sulfuric acid. This buildup of sulfuric acid is unknown to most people (myself included until last year) and has already created miles of dead zones in the Mediterranean Sea area that cannot support life anymore. This is due to the sulfuric acid acidifying the ocean, dropping the pH level slightly. Any change in pH causes large changes in ecosystems. For example, if human blood changed more than a few tenths of a point, our bodies would not be able to hold oxygen in your red blood cells, and therefore die. Not only will sulfuric acid destroy our marine ecosystems, but also commercial fisheries will be completely tapped out by approximately 2050, and there will be little to no food coming out of the oceans. Along with a rapidly growing population, this will put much strain on the agriculture industry to ramp up production, possibly driving food prices through the roof if we do not increase agricultural production/technology.
Science fiction shapes the future in some ways, as we strive to create these fantasy worlds that past authors talked about. I hope that we are in contact with nature when Earth reaches 8 billion people, but there will most certainly be a time when we will be dealing with rationing supplies and space. I intend to read more classic science fiction as I find author views of futuristic Earth fascinating.