Sustainable Development and the Limitation of Growth

Abstract

Homo sapiens and its hominid predecessors required a few million years in order to increase their numbers from a few hundred thousand individuals to 7–10 million (Kapitsa, 1995). In this time our evolutionary ancestor went from simple gathering to gathering complemented by hunting and fishing, for which corresponding technologies had to be developed. These technologies made possible migration from the subtropics, where only the gathering lifestyle had been possible, to regions with more severe climates. This global expansion was also aided by the taming of fire, the ability to make clothing out of animal hides, and the use of shelters against inclement weather.