Final answer:
The best solution for supporting a growing human population while protecting the environment involves using technology, reducing consumption, and redistributing resources fairly. Changes in society's values and personal choices are crucial in managing population growth and its environmental impact.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best solution to support the growing human population while also protecting the environment is multifaceted and depends on the specific goals and values of the society making the decision. However, an often recommended approach involves a combination of using technology to make better use of resources, changing behaviors to reduce consumption and human numbers, and distributing resources more fairly among all the world's people.
Humans have indeed altered environmental factors, such as the creation of synthetic fertilizers, leading to increased agricultural production and supporting a larger population. As the population continues to grow, environmental characteristics like resource depletion and increased waste production are likely to worsen. Developing preserve designs for urban areas, and strategies to reduce water demand, will be critical in addressing these issues.
In conclusion, personal choice and societal values play significant roles in taming the population predicament, aligning industrial and economic growth with environmental protection, and deciding on acceptable levels of environmental degradation in favor of other benefits such as energy independence.