FIGURE 3.6 The relationship of natural resource availability to GDP per inhabitant in major regions of the world. Data are in Table 3.4

A widely expressed view among those who are concerned about the increasing pressure of population on natural resources is that, if and when the population of the world stabilises, there will no longer be a problem. In other words, it is the growth of population that is the problem, not the fact that there are people. A stable population could be sustained indefinitely. With the help of the diagram in Figure 3.7 it can be shown that reaching zero growth of population in the world only delays the use of natural resources and the creation of pollution.