ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT PROBLEM: SOME CONSIDERATIONS

Abstract

This paper sumarizes the post-WAR debate on economic development, emphasizing the current idea that economic growth was the necessary and sufficient condition for it. Environmental issues, besides the dramatic situation of the majority of underdeveloped countries after A long period of fast economic growth, has contributed to undermine this idea; it became dear FLIAT the technological and consumption patterns of developed countries could not spread at all of the world by ecological reasons. In this sense, to overcome underdevelopement it is necessary a qualitatively different economic growth. The pre-conditions for that ate discussed.