3.7 Limits to growth

3.7.1 Explain the difficulties in applying the concept of carrying capacity to local human populations
1. When resources become limited, humans begin to substitute one resource for another
2. Developments in technology increase the changes of the resource consumption
3. Imports and migration: growth beyond local borders and boundaries set by local resources
4. Optimum population: The number of people which when working with all the available resources, will make the highest per capita economic return. (Populations highest standard and quality of living)
  1. Standard of living: (natural resources x technology) / population
  2. Over-population: Too many people compared to the resources and technology for the standard of living. Problems: suffer the most by natural disasters (famine and drought), low incomes, poverty, poor living conditions and emigration
  3. Under-population: Too many resources compared to the resources and technology for the standard of living. (Export surplus food, energy and mineral resources)
5. Human approaches to carrying capacity
3.7.2 Explain how absolute reductions in energy and material use, reuse and recycling can affect human carrying capacity
1. Recycling: When household or industrial waste is reused and made into another product eg. plastic, metal and paper (Increase carrying capacity)
2. Reuse:When a product is used more than once by returning it to the manufacturer or processor each time. (Increase carrying capacity)
3. Reduce: When energy usage is decreased for example by turning off lights etc. (Increase carrying capacity)
4. Substitution: When using one resource over another, ie. Renewable over non-renewable which benefits the environment and increases carrying capacity

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3.7 Limits to growth

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