Environmental demography and the emergence of population and consumption studies

Abstract

In recent years, Demography has devoted more effort to assess environmental issues based on interdisciplinary approaches. Demography’s incorporation of environmental issues is consistent with what can be observed in almost every field of knowledge, with a clear increase in the concerns related to sustainability of the planet. At the center of today’s environmental debate the problems caused by the imbalance between consumption, environment and population deserve more attention. First, this study offers some reflections on the recent consolidation of environmental demography, seeking to evaluate the paths not yet taken, and the growth possibilities for studies on population, consumption and environment. The paper then presents an overview of the approaches offered by the social sciences on consumption, focusing on how these studies have incorporated environmental issues. Finally, the study explores the inclusion of this topic – consumption and environment – in Demography, overcoming of old paradigms and revealing new challenges. The reflections in this work show that the demographic perspective on the environmental implications of consumption growth come up against the constant need to demystify any simplistic association between demographic growth and environmental degradation. Currently, the consumption boom is increasingly seen as something much more concerning than the population overgrowth.

DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-30982015000000020