Population, Earth Carrying Capacity and Economic Growth

This paper deals with the interaction between population growth and capital accumulation in an ecological perspective. Some demographic behaviours are modelled taking an ecological economics approach and combining the effects of technical progress geared to prevent decline in the marginal productivity of capital with the logistic growth model. Connection between the biological side and the economic side of the model is achieved by connecting the ecological concept of carrying capacity with that of subsistence, a very “classical” economic concept, strictly consistent with Malthus’ original approach. The economic analysis of the model is implemented with a growth accounting approach.