A growing population is good for social redistribution systems, but bad
for the climate. Beyond this simple statement, demography, economic
development, resource usage, climate change and political interventions
influencing migration, fertility and social redistribution are not so
easily brought together in a way to fully acknowledge for their
interdependency. This book takes up the associated methodlogical
challenges that are mirrored by several paradoxes: On the one hand, the
reduciton of western socieites`ecological footprint is well supported
by declining birth rates. On the other hand, sustainable transport, wast
of sewage systems call either for population growth or a stronger
urbanization of a declining population to remain affordable. At the same
time, theris the argument of population growth being necessary to
finance the welfare state, its pension systemss as elderly care. As both
"solutions" to demographic decline - increased migration and
pro-natalist family policies - are politically heavily disputed, and
given the interdependencies of poulation growth, climate change and
resource availablity, this collection of articles shows, that an expert
discussion on these aspects should indeed include the necessary
normative aspects associated with the questions of influencing
population size by policies. This book contains the inputs of
international high profile researchers, discussing how these issues will
shape the socio-economic reality in the middle of the century