esource base, and damage to the environment, which supplies all those
             resources. These trends reinforce each other - the damaged environment provides
             fewer resources, and the shortage of resources causes us to further damage the
             environment. World energy needs are projected to double in the next several
             decades, but no credible geologist foresees a doubling of world oil production,
             which is projected to peak within the next few decades. Many `growth' advocates
             will argue that the natural ingenuity of people will overcome any problems that
             population growth creates. Advocates of `sustainability' argue that increasing
             population and consumption are already causing massive damage to the planet and
             that soil erosion, extinction of species, pollution of air and water, and
             deforestation are all indicators of exceeding carrying capacity. Deforestation
             is driven by a wide range of social and economic forces, but underlying them all
             is the severe growth of human population and the rising demand for land and
             forest products such growth creates2. Due to overpopulation, and hence
             over-exploitation, the world's oceans are being pushed beyond their breaking
             point. Eleven of the fifteen most important oceanic fisheries and seventy
             percent of the major fish species are now fully or over-exploited, according to
             expertsƒ¡. It is impossible for people to live without forests, food, or
             water. Yet the world's supply of these necessities is gravely threatened by
             Another issue concerning population is employment. Some growth advocates argue
             that their economies will suffer as the citizens age if populations do not
             continue to grow. Some industrialized nations with stable populations already
             face shortages of younger workers. The advocates believe that not only may
             there not be enough workers to keep up production, they suggest that there may
             not be enough workers to pay into retirement and medical plans to sup...