"This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. Only an organizing genius could produce a shortage of coal and fish at the same time."
- Aneurin Bevan, British Labour politician, in a speech at Blackpool, 24 May 1945
If the Soviet Union took over the Sahara, nothing would happen for a few years, and then there would be a shortage of sand.
That doesn't mean it's not an existential problem. You can have a growth forever before the cancer gets bad enough to notice.
"This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. Only an organizing genius could produce a shortage of coal and fish at the same time."
- Aneurin Bevan, British Labour politician, in a speech at Blackpool, 24 May 1945