Global population growth and the environment: A review of the issues [Croissance de la population mondiale et environnement: les enjeux].

This article reviews the hypothesized effects of global population growth on the environment and considers their policy implications. The presentation focuses on five points: (1) an assessment of the environmental consequences of population growth; (2) the extreme complexity of the environment; (3) the adverse effects of population growth are concentrated on renewable, rather than nonrenewable, resources; (4) non-coercive efforts to slow population growth should be an integral part of a broader set of environmental policies; and (5) difficult-to-resolve political and administrative problems are likely to seriously delay the development and implementation of many non-demographic policies needed to address global environmental issues. (from author's abstract)