雅思阅读

📖 Reading Passage

The concept of 'environmental carrying capacity' has long been central to ecological theory, yet its application to human societies remains contentious. While biologists traditionally define carrying capacity as the maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely, human systems introduce variables such as technology, trade, and cultural consumption patterns. Recent studies suggest that technological innovation can temporarily raise carrying capacity by increasing resource efficiency, but this often leads to a 'rebound effect' where gains are offset by increased consumption. Moreover, the globalized nature of modern economies complicates local assessments, as regions may exceed their own biological limits by importing resources from elsewhere. Consequently, some scholars argue that the term should be reframed as 'sustainable capacity', emphasizing not just maximum numbers, but the quality of life and ecological resilience over the long term. This shift reflects a broader recognition that human-environment interactions are dynamic and socially mediated, rather than purely biological constraints.