The Limits to Growth — Malthus Revived
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Limits to Growth Revisited: Has the World Modeling Debate Made Any Progress? Walter E
Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review Volume 5 | Issue 1 Article 8 1-1-1976 Limits to Growth Revisited: Has the World Modeling Debate Made Any Progress? Walter E. Hecox Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/ealr Part of the Environmental Law Commons Recommended Citation Walter E. Hecox, Limits to Growth Revisited: Has the World Modeling Debate Made Any Progress?, 5 B.C. Envtl. Aff. L. Rev. 65 (1976), http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/ealr/vol5/iss1/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LIMITS TO GROWTH REVISITED: HAS THE WORLD MODELING DEBATE MADE ANY PROGRESS? Walter E. Hecox* LIMITS To GROWTH, lone of the most controversial academic stud ies of this century, was introduced to the world on March 2, 1972, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Written by Dennis Meadows and others at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology, this study was released amid great publicity and interest. The immediate reaction came primarily in the popular press, which focused on the book's dire predictions of future world collapse. The media speculated that this study might change the course of man kind, was an international event, contained chilling statistics to underscore man's predicament, was a pioneering effort towards pla netary planning, raised life-and-death questions, and should stir the imagination of thoughtful men and women everywhere. -
Family Planning and the Environment
FAMILY PLANNING AND THE ENVIRONMENT STABILIZING POPULATION WOULD HELP SUSTAIN THE PLANET Because everyone counts ABOUT HALF THE EARTH’s biological people’s needs and that face the greatest production capacity has already been di- population growth. verted to human use. Life-supporting eco- z Since the 1960s, fertility in de- systems are affected everywhere by the veloping countries has been reduced planet’s 6.7 billion people, which is pro- from an average of six births per jected to reach at least 9.2 billion by 2050. woman to three, thanks primarily to The links between population the use of contraceptives. However, UNFPA, the United Nations and environmental quality are com- in 56 developing countries, the poorest plex and varied. Understanding them women still average six births, compared Population Fund, is an requires knowledge of consumption rates to 3.2 for the wealthiest. that differ between the rich and the poor, international development z The wealthiest countries, with less than of new and old technologies, of resource 20 per cent of earth’s population and the agency that promotes the extraction and restoration, and of the dy- slowest population growth, account for 86 namics of population growth and migration. right of every woman, man percent of natural resource consumption– Humans are depleting natural re- much of it wasteful–and produce the ma- and child to enjoy a life of sources, degrading soil and water, and cre- jority of the pollution and carbon dioxide. ating waste at an alarming rate, even as health and equal opportunity. z At the other extreme, the depletion of new technology raises crop yields, con- natural resources is occurring most rapidly serves resources and cleans up pollution. -
People and the Planet: Lessons for a Sustainable Future. INSTITUTION Zero Population Growth, Inc., Washington, D.C
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 409 188 SE 060 352 AUTHOR Wasserman, Pamela, Ed. TITLE People and the Planet: Lessons for a Sustainable Future. INSTITUTION Zero Population Growth, Inc., Washington, D.C. REPORT NO ISBN-0-945219-12-1 PUB DATE 96 NOTE 210p. AVAILABLE FROM Zero Population Growth, Inc., 1400 16th Street N.W., Suite 320, Washington, DC 20036, e-mail: [email protected] PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Conservation (Environment); Elementary Secondary Education; *Environmental Education; Natural Resources; Pollution; Population Trends; Sustainable Development; Teaching Guides IDENTIFIERS *Environmental Action; Environmental Awareness ABSTRACT This activity guide is designed to develop students' understanding of the interdependence of people and the environment as well as the interdependence connecting members of the global family. It is both an environmental education curriculum and a global studies resource suitable for middle school science, social studies, math, language arts, and family life education classrooms. The readings and activities contained in this book are designed to broaden students' knowledge of trends and connections among population change, natural resource use, global economics, gender equity, and community health. This knowledge combined with the critical thinking skills developed in each activity will help students explore their roles as global citizens and environmental stewards. The book is divided into four parts: (1) Understanding Population Dynamics;(2) People, Resources, and the Environment; (3) Issues for the Global Family; and (4) You and Your Community. Also included is a list of activities grouped by themes including air/water pollution and climate change, carrying capacity, environmental and social ethics, family size decisions, future studies, land use issues, natural resource use, population dynamics and trends, resource distribution/inequities, solid waste management, and sustainability. -
Population Sampling in European Air Pollution Exposure Study, EXPOLIS: Comparisons Between the Cities and Representativeness of the Samples
Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology (2000) 10, 355±364 # 2000 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved 1053-4245/00/$15.00 www.nature.com/jea Population sampling in European air pollution exposure study, EXPOLIS: comparisons between the cities and representativeness of the samples TUULIA ROTKO,a LUCY OGLESBY,b NINO KUÈ NZLIb AND MATTI J. JANTUNENc aDepartment of Environmental Hygiene, National Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 95, FIN 70701 Kuopio, Finland bUniversity of Basel, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Basel, Switzerland cEU Joint Research Centre, Environment Institute, Air Quality Unit, I-21020 Ispra (VA), Italy A personal air pollution exposure study, EXPOLIS, was accomplished in six European cities among 25- to 55-year-old citizens. In order to compare the exposure results and different microenvironmental concentrations between the cities it is crucial to know the extent and effects of the population bias that has developed in sampling procedure and the sociodemographic characteristics of each measured population sample. In each participating city a random Base sample of 2000 to 3000 individuals was drawn from the census and a Short Questionnaire (SQ) was mailed to them. Two subsamples of the Respondents of the mailed questionnaire were randomly drawn: Diary sample for 48-h time±microenvironment±activity diary and extensive exposure questionnaires, and Exposure sample for the same plus personal exposure and microenvironmental monitoring. Significant differences existed between the EXPOLIS cities in the population-sampling procedure. Population-sampling bias was evaluated by comparing the Respondents with the total city populations. The share of women and individuals with more than 14 years of education is higher among the Respondents than the overall population except in Athens. -
The Environmental Dimension of Growth in Frontrunner Companies
Chairgroup Environmental Policy, Wageningen University The environmental dimension of growth in frontrunner companies Msc. Thesis Erik-Jan van Oosten Supervised by Kris van Koppen 17-8-2015 Student nr. 8806236100 1 Summary There is a correlation between environmental degradation and economic growth. The consequences and reasons for this indirect relation have been debated since The Limits To Growth was published in 1972. The environmental dimension of growth is a contested topic in environmental policy making and a divisive issue amongst environmentalists. The discourse of growth and how to tackle its environmental dimension concerns predominantly macro-economics, not corporate policies. Seven frontrunner companies and their growth strategies are researched to explore the role of Environmental CSR in addressing the environmental dimension of growth. The key areas of research are (1) the literature on the sustainability of growth resulting in arguments, methods and strategies from both the proponents and opponents of growth to address the environmental dimension of growth and (2) policy documents of, and interviews with representatives of, frontrunner companies on how they address the environmental dimension of their growth. In literature, the argument that economic growth is complementary with environmental sustainability is built on several arguments. Economic stability which continued growth can provide is seen as necessary to transition to a more sustainable economy. The environmental Kuznets curve is used to make the argument that the environmental impact of growth will decrease if we keep growing the economy. The opponents of growth argue that there are rebound effects that prevent the environmental impact of human activity to decrease when economic growth continues. -
(Nox) Emission Air Pollution Density in Major Metropolitan Areas of the United States
Population Density, Traffic Density and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Emission Air Pollution Density in Major Metropolitan Areas of the United States This report summarizes the latest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data on the density of daily traffic densities and road vehicle nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions densities by counties within the 51 metropolitan areas with more than 1 million population in the United States as of 2010. The measures used are described under "The Measures," below. The EPA data indicates a strong association both between: Higher population densities and higher traffic densities (Figure 1). Higher population densities and higher road vehicle nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission intensities (Figure 2) In both cases, the relationships are statistically significant at the 99 percent level of confidence. These relationships are summarized by population density category in Table 1, which includes total daily road vehicle travel density (vehicle miles per square mile), annual nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission intensity and a comparison to the average of all of the metropolitan area counties. It is important to recognize that air pollution emissions alone are not a fully reliable predictor of air quality, though all things being equal, higher air pollution emissions will lead to less healthful air. This issue is described further under "Caveats." Below. 1 Density & Roadway Travel ROAD VEHICLES: MAJOR METROPOLITAN COUNTIES 600,000 R2 = 0.720 Mile 500,000 99% confidence level Square 400,000 per 300,000 (Miles) Travel 200,000 422 Counties in 51 Vehicle Metropolitan Areas 100,000 Over 1,000,000 Daily 0 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 Population Density (Population per Square Mile): 2006‐2007 Figure 1 Density & Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Emissions ROAD VEHICLES: MAJOR METROPOLITAN COUNTIES 200 2 180 R = 0.605 Mile 99% confidence 160 Level. -
The Prospect of Global Environmental Relativities After an Anthropocene Tipping Point
This is a repository copy of The Prospect of Global Environmental Relativities After an Anthropocene Tipping Point. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/112256/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Grainger, A (2017) The Prospect of Global Environmental Relativities After an Anthropocene Tipping Point. Forest Policy and Economics, 79. pp. 36-49. ISSN 1389-9341 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2017.01.008 © 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Reuse Unless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version - refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher’s website. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ The Prospect of Global Environmental Relativities After an Anthropocene Tipping Point Alan Grainger School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. -
The Limits to Growth: the 30-Year Update
Donella Meadows Jorgen Randers Dennis Meadows Chelsea Green (United States & Canada) Earthscan (United Kingdom and Commonwealth) Diamond, Inc (Japan) Kossoth Publishing Company (Hungary) Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update By Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers & Dennis Meadows Available in both cloth and paperback editions at bookstores everywhere or from the publisher by visiting www.chelseagreen.com, or by calling Chelsea Green. Hardcover • $35.00 • ISBN 1–931498–19–9 Paperback • $22.50 • ISBN 1–931498–58–X Charts • graphs • bibliography • index • 6 x 9 • 368 pages Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction, VT Tel. 1/800–639–4099. Website www.chelseagreen.com Funding for this Synopsis provided by Jay Harris from his Changing Horizons Fund at the Rockefeller Family Fund. Additional copies of this Synopsis may be purchased by contacting Diana Wright at the Sustainability Institute, 3 Linden Road, Hartland, Vermont, 05048. Tel. 802/436–1277. Website http://sustainer.org/limits/ The Sustainability Institute has created a learning environment on growth, limits and overshoot. Visit their website, above, to follow the emerging evidence that we, as a global society, have overshot physcially sustainable limits. World3–03 CD-ROM (2004) available by calling 800/639–4099. This disk is intended for serious students of the book, Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update (2004). It permits users to reproduce and examine the details of the 10 scenarios published in the book. The CD can be run on most Macintosh and PC operating systems. With it you will be able to: • Reproduce the three graphs for each of the scenarios as they appear in the book. -
E/CONF.60/19: World Population Plan of Action
19-30 August 1974 World Population Plan of Action UNITED NATIONS POPULATION INFORMATION NETWORK (POPIN) UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) World Population Plan of Action The electronic version of this document is being made available by the United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN) Gopher of the Population Division, Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis. ***************************************************************** WORLD POPULATION PLAN OF ACTION The World Population Conference, Having due regard for human aspirations for a better quality of life and for rapid socio-economic development, Taking into consideration the interrelationship between population situations and socio-economic development, Decides on the following World Population Plan of Action as a policy instrument within the broader context of the internationally adopted strategies for national and international progress: A. BACKGROUND TO THE PLAN 1. The promotion of development and improvement of quality of life require co-ordination of action in all major socio-economic fields including that of population, which is the inexhaustible source of creativity and a determining factor of progress. At the international level a number of strategies and programmes whose http://www.un.org/popin/icpd/conference/bkg/wppa.html 1/46 World Population Plan of Action explicit aim is to affect variables in fields other than population have already been formulated. These -
(2016) Ambient Air Pollution: a Global Assessment of Exposure And
Ambient air pollution: A global assessment of exposure and burden of disease Content List of tables 7 List of figures7 List of annexes 9 Preface 11 Abbreviations 13 Summary 15 1. Introduction 19 2. Exposure to ambient air pollution 23 2.1. Exposure : ground measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 23 2.1.1. Methods 23 2.1.2. Results 25 2.1.3. Discussion 31 2.2 Exposure : modelled estimates of PM2.5 32 2.2.1. Methods 32 2.2.2. Results 32 2.2.3. Discussion 37 3. Burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution 39 3.1. Methods 39 3.1.1. Source of datas 39 3.1.2. Estimation of the disease burden 39 3.1.3. Uncertainty analysis 40 3.2. Results 40 3.3. Discussion 47 4. Conclusion and way forward 49 References 51 Acknowledgment 55 Annex 1. Modelled population exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5), by country 57 Annex 2. Deaths, YLL’s and DALY’S Attributable to Ambient Air Pollution, by country 63 List of tables Table 1 : Ambient air pollution database : Proportion of settlements by population size Table 2 : Total number of towns and cities in AAP database, 2016 version, by region Table 3 : Number of cities included for the PM2.5 and PM10 comparison over a five-year period (mostly 2008-2013), by region Table 4 : Trend for the five-year period (mostly 2008-2013) in PM2.5 or PM10 based on cities available in several versions of the database, by region Table 5 : Deaths attributable to AAP in 2012, by disease, age and sex Table 6 : Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to AAP in 2012, by disease, age and sex Table 7 : Population attributable -
Water Pollution from Agriculture: a Global Review
LED BY Water pollution from agriculture: a global review Executive summary © FAO & IWMI, 2017 I7754EN/1/08.17 Water pollution from agriculture: a global review Executive summary by Javier Mateo-Sagasta (IWMI), Sara Marjani Zadeh (FAO) and Hugh Turral with contributions from Jacob Burke (formerly FAO) Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 2017 and the International Water Management Institute on behalf of the Water Land and Ecosystems research program Colombo, 2017 FAO and IWMI encourage the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO and IWMI as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s and IWMI’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licence- request or addressed to [email protected]. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/ publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]” © FAO and IWMI, 2017 Cover photograph: © Jim Holmes/IWMI Neil Palmer (IWMI) A GLOBAL WATER-QUALITY CRISIS AND THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE Water pollution is a global challenge that has increased in both developed and developing countries, undermining economic growth as well as the physical and environmental health of billions of people. -
Carrying Capacity a Discussion Paper for the Year of RIO+20
UNEP Global Environmental Alert Service (GEAS) Taking the pulse of the planet; connecting science with policy Website: www.unep.org/geas E-mail: [email protected] June 2012 Home Subscribe Archive Contact “Earthrise” taken on 24 December 1968 by Apollo astronauts. NASA Thematic Focus: Environmental Governance, Resource Efficiency One Planet, How Many People? A Review of Earth’s Carrying Capacity A discussion paper for the year of RIO+20 We travel together, passengers on a little The size of Earth is enormous from the perspective spaceship, dependent on its vulnerable reserves of a single individual. Standing at the edge of an ocean of air and soil; all committed, for our safety, to its or the top of a mountain, looking across the vast security and peace; preserved from annihilation expanse of Earth’s water, forests, grasslands, lakes or only by the care, the work and the love we give our deserts, it is hard to conceive of limits to the planet’s fragile craft. We cannot maintain it half fortunate, natural resources. But we are not a single person; we half miserable, half confident, half despairing, half are now seven billion people and we are adding one slave — to the ancient enemies of man — half free million more people roughly every 4.8 days (2). Before in a liberation of resources undreamed of until this 1950 no one on Earth had lived through a doubling day. No craft, no crew can travel safely with such of the human population but now some people have vast contradictions. On their resolution depends experienced a tripling in their lifetime (3).