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This week's Write Space by Margaret Beverland.

At the end of January, the United Nations panel on global sustainability concluded that by 2040 the impact of the projected population growth on the world's economy and the environment would reach crisis point.

The population is set to grow to nine billion from seven billion now, and the resulting demand for resources, even by 2030, will create a need for at least 50 per cent more food, 45 per cent more energy and 30 per cent more water at a time when many countries are already reaching their limits to supply.

When this report was released, I had just finished reading ‘Population Crisis' by Dick Smith, the entrepreneur and founder of the electronic store chain.

Smith tackles the dangers of unstainable growth for Australia, which in recent years has had the fastest growing population in the developed world, outpacing that of India, China and Bangladesh.

He also questions the rapidly increasing global population, which he sees as the base cause of global warming, and related environmental issues such as deforestation, the threatened extinction of unique plant, animal and insect species, depleted fish stocks and fresh water supplies.

Currently, 5.2 million hectares of forest are lost each year, and 85 per cent of fish stocks are over-exploited.

Smith had not considered this issue until his daughter asked him, shortly before the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, why there was no discussion on the agenda of the consequences of human-induced climate change.

He decided to investigate and sought out the opinions of some of the smartest minds in the world.

The challenges the world faces may appear of little concern to Australia (the lucky country) with its vast open spaces, peaceful democracy and an abundant wealth in the form of mineral resources.

Smith believes otherwise and has published his views to alert the nation, already suffering from a water supply crisis, to the dangers of unstainable demographic and economic growth.

If we are to leave future generations a world such as Australia and other western nations have enjoyed over the past two hundred years, Smith thinks population control is essential.

Other growing economies are demanding a similar standard of living and it is just not possible if we continue as we are.

The global economic system is based on growing the GDP. It is a policy roller coaster that we seem unable to get off, one that is a recipe for doom if we do not.

Have the world's governments the courage to change this, to tackle global warming at the real source – unstainable population growth?

An accessible read ‘Population Crisis' raises many questions that need to be debated.

While it did not supply the answers, it certainly made me think about my impact on our planet, and that of continued unsustainable growth.