1. What is carrying capacity?
Why can it be difficult to calculate the carrying capacity for human populations?

2. Thomas Malthus (economist) – “The power of the population is infinitely greater than the power of the Earth to produce subsistence for man.” 1798
Point of crisis
Malthusian trap
Paul Ehrlich (environmental biologist) – warned of “famine of unbelievable proportions” and that feeding a population of 6 billion would be “totally impossible in practice.” 1976

3. Esther Boserup (economist) – had a different view
Esther Boserup (economist) – had a different view. She believed that people have the resources to increase food production.
HOW?

4. Both of these views are valid, but which one do you believe?
“Population growth is going to use up the world’s resources.”
“Population growth will stimulate the development of new resources.”
Both of these views are valid, but which one do you believe?

5. Technocentric vs. Ecocentric