No set of issues has tended to separate economists
and ecologists, especially in the mind of the public,
more than those surrounding the linkages between
economic growth, carrying capacity, and the environment.
The general lack of interest among the
majority of economists in problems of the environment,
and a parallel lack of interest among the
majority of ecologists in economic issues, combined
with a lack of dialogue between ecologists and
economists has allowed extreme positions to take
hold in the public debate and to influence policy to
an inordinate degree. Just one example from a recent
book covering a debate between Julian Simon and
Norman Myers (Myers and Simon, 1994) should
suffice to demonstrate just how extreme some of
these positions are. Consider the following quote by
Simon: