Expert: Walter Hintz - 9/30/2006

Question
If true that few species can continue exponential growth for very long, because environmental resistance will assert itself. But then this article says the human population has been growing exponentially in the last few decades.
1. Do you think that human populations are truly without an upper bound, or do you think that carrying capacity is just always rising?

2. What evidence do you know of that humans might eventually reach an absolute upper limit of growth?

3.  Does the emergence of "disease" factor into this?

ANy help will be very much appreciated.

Thank You..
David

Answer
Hi David
 There are no populations without an upper bound.  There is a limit to the amount of available energy

 I know of no evidence that humans will reach the upper limit.  Eventually the limit must be reached because of the First Law of Thermodynamics.

 Probably since the greater the number of people the greater the disease rate