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For 200 years, we've been and how it leads to environmental instability. On the other hand, today some countries face decreasing populations, alongside , causing .

These two facets of population crises—explosions and declines—are occurring in different parts of the world, and have a global impact on the environment and on economies. Discussions about achieving economic and environmental sustainability must consider population changes, technology and the environment, given these concepts are closely interwoven.

Population explosions and declines are related to both environmental and economic instability; some countries make reactionary choices that trade off short-term domestic economic progress over the environment.

The crisis of population explosions

In 1798, English economist Thomas Malthus , inferring that population growth will outstrip agricultural production. Malthus's ideas became in his book published at the height of . Both predicted that a population explosion would cause shortages in resources and escalating environmental damage.

Like Malthus, Ehrlich was criticized for a crisis "that never happened" because human ingenuity, , overcomes the worst fears of environmentalists. This counter-argument relies on technological advances making more efficient use of resources while lowering the environmental impacts.

This is best exemplified by . Ehrlich's predictions of cumulative environmental damage are best illustrated by the growing intensity of climate change and species loss as the global population continues to grow even though the .

Unified growth theory describes how economies change over the long term. It starts with a period of . Over time, these conditions give way to a , where technology improves quickly, income rises steadily and population growth slows as societies go through .

Technological progress positively over the long term. However, early adoption of green technology often relies on that may imply short-term economic burdens. Yet when green technology is implemented and coupled with slowing population growth, it leads to decreasing national environmental footprints that pave the way towards joint environmental and economic sustainability.

The crisis of population declines

Declining populations cause inverted age pyramids with larger numbers of elderly people. These shifting demographics cause economic instability. They also constrain technological progress and social security.

Population declines work against the gains described by the unified growth theory. Presently, . Fears of population decline are also being forecast on the global scale.

The global population is predicted to peak between the mid-2060s to 2100, stabilizing at 10.2 billion from its present 8.2 billion.

In their book, "," political scientist Darrell Bricker and political commentator John Ibbitson warn that will happen even faster. They argue that once a country decreases its fertility to below replacement (2.1 children per woman), the social reinforcements of increasing urbanization, costs of raising children and increased empowerment over family planning make it almost impossible to increase the birth rate.

For highly affluent countries, the per capita GDP is decreasing as the proportion of elderly in the population increases. Although this pattern doesn't hold when less affluent countries are added, the figure demonstrates tangible economic impacts for countries grappling with aging populations.

Simultaneous explosions and declines

Affluent nations facing decline can react to economic instability in ways that counter global economic and environmental sustainability.

In the past, . However, economic instability from population declines can cause reluctance to invest, adopt and share green technology crucial for mitigating environmental damage at the global scale.

The issue is compounded by the fact that many countries overlook how their own . They instead focus on short-term solutions to their economic situation that may include unsustainable resource use.

Left unaddressed, the real issue of population decline becomes unresolved, allowing social anxieties against immigration and global trade to grow. This can exacerbate the issue of halting technology sharing, slowing economic growth and .

The above is exemplified by policies now being implemented by the United States. Where , have generated new policies causing the deportation of millions of immigrants and closing borders. This will most likely accelerate a population decline in the U.S., as highlighted by a .

At the same time, the that will worsen climate damage.

Climate damage costs are currently . The growing applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and its will add to climate damage. AI may also contribute to the economic challenges related to population decline , rather than supports, labor.

Finally, tariff wars add new barriers against .

Canada's lowered immigration

Canada, which already has and is reacting to the U.S. trade war, has its own challenges. This year, immigration targets were decreased by 19%. The and could generate similar .

In the most recent federal election, .

Our research indicates that Canada and other affluent nations need to establish longer-term solutions to economic instabilities that mitigate environmental damage while promoting sustainable national and global economies.

The offer pathways for economic, social and environmental sustainability. However, realizing these goals requires society to fully acknowledge the intertwined relationships between population growth, economy, environment and international technology-sharing in ways that transcend short-term national interests and reactionary policies.

The past decade has seen . Unfortunately, the current climate of economic uncertainty is halting this progress—unless the public can force broader discussions about sustainable approaches back into the political sphere.

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