This report investigates the long-term global trends in population, natural resources, and the environment to determine the potential risks to human stability by the year 2000. Commissioned by President Jimmy Carter and directed by Gerald O. Barney, the study synthesizes data from various U.S. government agencies to project the consequences of current growth patterns. It argues that without significant policy shifts, the world faces increasing resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and geopolitical instability.

Experts recognize this document as a foundational text in the history of environmental policy and global sustainability modeling. Readers frequently note the technical density of the data and the sobering nature of its long-term environmental forecasts.