Pessimistic - Worst Case Scenario

Thomas Malthus (1798) believed that in the future, food production would increase by regular intervals - arithmetic progression (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc), whereas population would increase exponentially - geometric progression (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc).

This meant that there would soon be more population than food and other resources. He thought this would lead to disasters, such as war, famine and disease. 

Neo-malthusians agree with Malthus' ideas; in 1972 a group was formed called "The Club of Rome." They suggested that in the next 100 years, population would outstrip available resources, and the environment and economy would be devastated. This would lead to the population falling dramatically. 

Evidence supporting the Malthusian approach to population and resources:  

• Global warming is harming our environment.
• Desertification may have been caused by over-farming land.
• Famines in Africa e.g. Ethiopia (1984).
• The war in Iraq - securing oil may have been a factor.
• Many people do not have access to clean water.
• Large scale population control policies have been introduced in some areas.