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The contemporary illusion: population growth and sustainability

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  • Maristella Bergaglio

    (University of Milan)

Abstract

Since the 1970s, debates on “population growth” and “sustainability” have fluctuated markedly between pessimistic forecasts and optimistic certainties. Nowadays, they have reached a strange, comfortable illusion according to which the demographic future of our planet does not seem to be a problem at all. Nevertheless, median population growth projections by 2100 indicate that an arrest of the increase by the end of the century is rather unlikely. The future prospect is made even more critical by the fact that the increase will occur in what can be called demographic “Growing spots,” strongly opposed to just as many “Aging spots.” In these terms, therefore, the future demographic dynamics will certainly pose a challenge to the “population growth-sustainability” combination, for which it will be necessary to develop a new paradigm capable of operating in a “strong transcalar perspective,” within a global space that will increasingly acquire characteristics of fluidity and changeability.

Suggested Citation

  • Maristella Bergaglio, 2017. "The contemporary illusion: population growth and sustainability," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 2023-2038, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:19:y:2017:i:5:d:10.1007_s10668-016-9842-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-016-9842-3
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    Cited by:

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    2. David McCollum & Hebe Nicholson & Paula Duffy, 2021. "A place-based approach to population sustainability: Demographic and economic change at the local level in Fife, Scotland," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 36(6), pages 505-523, September.
    3. Luciano Ferreira Silva & Arnoldo José Hoyos Guevara & Ernesto D. R. Santibanez Gonzalez & Paulo Sergio Gonçalves Oliveira, 2019. "Evolution toward environment sustainable behavior: search for survival in the plastic industry in Brazil," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 1291-1320, June.
    4. Weizhang Liang & Guoyan Zhao & Suizhi Luo, 2021. "Sustainability evaluation for phosphorus mines using a hybrid multi-criteria decision making method," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 12411-12433, August.
    5. O'Sullivan, Jane N., 2020. "The social and environmental influences of population growth rate and demographic pressure deserve greater attention in ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).

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