Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows it.
Thomas Malthus, the British clergyman-turned economist, predicted that the planet would not be able to support the human population for long. His explanation was that human population grows at a geometric rate, while the food supply grows only at an arithmetic rate.
Which one of the following, if true, would not undermine the thesis offered by Malthus?
- Population growth can be slowed down by the voluntary choices of individuals and not just by natural disasters.
- The capacity of the planet to feed a growing human population can be enhanced through biotechnological means.
- Human systems, and natural systems like food supply, follow natural laws of growth which have remained constant, and will remain unchanged.
- Human beings can colonize other planetary systems on a regular and ongoing basis to accommodate a growing population.