ABSTRACT
How are environmental threats related to economic development and growth? 1 At one extreme, some researchers claim that growth has already exceeded the sustainable level of activity on Earth (Meadows et al. 1972). At the other extreme, some researchers believe that technical progress will make it possible to meet the demand that will result from increased population and per capita income (Kahn et al. 1976). In some overly simplified analyses, growth is the main culprit, whereas in others, it is the principal panacea for environmental issues. Neither of these simple positions is tenable.
