Can more = better? Science: a scorecard of the population debate.

Although the jury remains out on the effects of population growth it is clear that simply producing a young and healthy labor force is no longer an engine of prosperity; training and education are. Poor countries with rapidly rising populations are however finding it ever harder to train their people. Caution is thus warranted in approaching population growth for any miscalculation about permitting rapid increases could result in catastrophic effects. The author describes the debate between biologists and economists on the issue. Many biologists warn that the 10 billion persons predicted by the UN to inhabit the earth by 2050 will strain water soil and other resources to the breaking point and cause devastating environmental damage widespread hunger and global misery. Many economists however counter that free markets will keep supplies of even scarce commodities in line with demand and will stimulate the search for substitutes; science will always come through with technological fixes like "the green revolution."