Rising living standards may not require more energy due to ______.Multiple choice question.population growthinflationdecreased efficiencyimproved technology

The correct answer is "improved technology".

Step 1: Understand the question. The question is asking why rising living standards may not necessarily mean more energy consumption.

Step 2: Analyze the options.

• Population growth: This would likely increase energy consumption as more people would require more resources.

• Inflation: This is an economic term and doesn't directly relate to energy consumption.

• Decreased efficiency: This would likely increase energy consumption as less efficient systems require more energy to perform the same tasks.

• Improved technology: This could decrease energy consumption as better technology can often perform the same tasks more efficiently.

Step 3: Choose the correct answer. In this case, the answer is "improved technology" as it is the only option that could potentially lead to the same or higher living standards without requiring more energy.