Viewpoint: Sustainability: Malthus revisited?

James A. Brander

Canadian Journal of Economics, 2007, vol. 40, issue 1, pages 1-38

Abstract: The sustainability debate concerns whether the world will experience stable or improving living standards for the foreseeable future, or whether the current trajectory will overtax the natural environment, leading to a `crash' in living standards. This paper selectively reviews relevant research, focusing on both ecological concerns and technological progress, and asks whether susta inability would be problematic without rapid population growth. I suggest that continued demographic transition to lower fertility is the primary requirement for achieving sustainable development. This is, effectively, a modern translation of Malthus (1798) evolution.

JEL-codes: Q56 J10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
View citations in EconPapers

Downloads: (external link)
http://economics.ca/cgi/xms?jab=v40n1/CJEv40n1p0001.pdf Full text (application/pdf)
Available to subscribers only. Alternative access through JSTOR and Ingenta.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://economics.ca/en/membership.php

Access Statistics for this article

Canadian Journal of Economics is edited by Dwayne Benjamin

More articles in Canadian Journal of Economics from Canadian Economics Association
Address: Canadian Economics Association Prof. Steven Ambler, Secretary-Treasurer c/o Olivier Lebert, CEA/CJE/CPP Office CIREQ-C.R.D.E., Université de Montréal C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
Contact information at EDIRC.
Series data maintained by Prof. Werner Antweiler ().