REPLY Limits to Growth Plan B (SD7052)

[SDMAIL Khalid Saeed]

Posted by  Khalid Saeed <saeed at WPI.EDU>

Jay’s assertion that population growth and industrial growth are the 
root causes for the environmental malaise should challenge us to look 
for a positive feedback between the two. If such a feedback exists, the 
entry point might be to curtail industrial growth through public 
policy/economic management rather than undertaking the more difficult 
task of curtailing population. I should add that the possibility of a 
relationship between industrial growth and population growth was 
considered by Adam Smith when he surmised that "production of men" could 
possibly be determined by the demand for them like any other commodity.
 
In more concrete terms, and I am considering only positive feedbacks, 
production capacity would create demand for labor, which would create 
institutional support for high fertility rates that fuel population. 
Population, in turn, creates workforce that increases production 
capacity. Another player in the process might be marketing. Excess 
production capacity fuels marketing that would add to the institutional 
support for expanding an important source of demand - population. 
Reducing economic growth rates to zero and curtailing marketing of goods 
and services slanted towards population growth might limit institutional 
support for the high fertility rates. Would it?

Khalid

Khalid Saeed, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics and System Dynamics
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA 01609
Posted by  Khalid Saeed <saeed at WPI.EDU>
posting date  Fri, 23 May 2008 11:30:43 -0400