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The Population Question in Post-World War II Environmental Ac‐ Tivism, but Again Could Be Teased out Further

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The Population Question in Post-World War II Environmental Ac‐ Tivism, but Again Could Be Teased out Further Bjrn-Ola Linnr. The Return of Malthus: Environmentalism and Post-War Population- Resource Crises. Isle of Harris: White Horse Press, 2003. xvi + 303 pp. $75.00, cloth, ISBN 978-1-874267-51-5. Reviewed by Michael Egan Published on H-Environment (May, 2005) During my dissertation research on biologist moner took issue with Ehrlich's position, claiming Barry Commoner's social and environmental ac‐ that the global imbalance of wealth and power tivism, I had the opportunity to visit his office in needed to be corrected in order to reduce popula‐ New York several times to interview him. We tion growth. To Commoner, forcibly reducing talked about his opposition to aboveground nucle‐ birthrates, without addressing the more severe ar testing; his role in the science information socio-economic inequities, bordered on bar‐ movement; his position on the war in Vietnam; barism. After Earth Day, the debate intensified and his concerns about energy production and and became increasingly vitriolic. More than thir‐ consumption, urban waste disposal, and myriad ty years later, both men remain bitter and sensi‐ other environmental topics, including his current tive--"be sure to tell them I won," Commoner once work on genetic theory. Rarely was he so animat‐ told me, while Ehrlich would not talk to me--and ed as when we discussed debates over population the population growth question continues to loom and his infamous confrontation with Paul Ehrlich. over global scarcity and pollution crises. What is Very briefly, Ehrlich's 1968 The Population Bomb the Earth's carrying capacity? Are there too many warned about the imminent ecological collapse of people? Can we continue to sustainably feed the human civilization under the weight of its own world's billions? Are we headed toward a precipi‐ numbers. According to Ehrlich, the only means of tous decline caused by our overuse of natural re‐ avoiding this apocalypse involved an immediate sources? Can science and technology keep pace and drastic reduction in birthrates and what he with the demands of an ever-growing world pop‐ called "zero population growth." Ehrlich's mes‐ ulation? Within the confusion surrounding the sage enjoyed mainstream attention on the eve of population-scarcity crisis, some perspective and Earth Day, and population control became one of context is necessary. Bjrn-Ola Linnr provides both the most prominent platforms in the new envi‐ in his excellent book, The Return of Malthus: En‐ ronmental movement that gained steam at the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s. Com‐ H-Net Reviews vironmentalism and Post-War Population-Re‐ guages on the postwar population-resource de‐ source Crises. bates, often referred to as the Doomsday Debates. Linnr's focus is less a history of demography In his introduction, Linnr proposes that the book and population growth than an account of the intends to address three key issues: the develop‐ study and anticipation of resource crises resulting ment of postwar neo-Malthusianism; the influ‐ from the staggering human population expansion ence of the neo-Malthusianism on postwar con‐ since the Second World War. Linnr does not re‐ servation ideology; and the process of communi‐ solve all the questions one might have about hu‐ cation on population-resource issues between sci‐ man overpopulation, but rather introduces us to entific communities, conservationists/environ‐ the population-resource crisis (or scarcity crisis) mentalists, and the political system. Focusing the problem of a lack of resources to sustain ongo‐ largely on the western context, Linnr succeeds on ing population growth. While the tenets of the all points in a study that ranges from the conclu‐ scarcity crisis will naturally be familiar to histori‐ sion of World War II to the end of the twentieth ans of the conservation movement, Linnr also en‐ century, concluding with a summary of how, gages in a socio-economic analysis of scarcity and when, and in what context, the neo-Malthusians the potential of resource scarcity in order to were right or missed their mark. For anyone in‐ bridge his study between environmental history terested in population, conservation, or science as and geo-political history. It is an interesting com‐ well as the global environmental crisis, this is an bination and one that environmental historians important book. intent on expanding the audience for their work One of the especially interesting features of might seriously consider pursuing. Linnr's work, which relates to each of his three As Linnr demonstrates, the population-re‐ key issues, is the manner in which he points to the source crisis is a controversial problem, depen‐ significance of the population issue in the cultural dent on endless variables such as demographic context of the postwar world. Linnr is very effec‐ transitions and scientific and technological inno‐ tive in pointing out how concerns over the scarci‐ vations that might help increase crop yields. Nev‐ ty of natural resources--frequently tied to the as‐ ertheless, it has had a profound cultural and polit‐ sumption that overpopulation was putting a ical effect on western society. In spite of many of strain on sustainable use--were associated with Linnr's fndings, human population remains a so‐ foreign affairs. At the end of the Second World cial and environmental issue that transcends race, War, as Americans turned their attention to the class, gender, and national boundaries. The histo‐ new Cold War, population growth necessarily be‐ ry of the potential impact of human population came a part of their planning. Surveying econom‐ growth is the focus of this study. By and large, this ic instability and the communist threat around approach works well and conveys the dread the world, Linnr illuminates the Cold War tension many analysts felt as they observed concurrent by pointing out the role of neo-Malthusianism in expansions in the planet's human population, and American foreign policy. On the one hand, neo- in production and consumption trends Malthusianism was ecological, linking population densities to resource degradation. In the conser‐ In The Return of Malthus, Linnr makes a criti‐ vationist refrain, this ecological reading remains cal contribution to environmental history litera‐ solvent. But this ecological interpretation also has ture and offers the frst comprehensive analysis inherently economic implications, which give rise of global population concerns after World War II. to a political reading of neo-Malthusian ideas, by The book is thoroughly researched and brings to‐ linking population densities to national and inter‐ gether a wealth of material from different lan‐ national politics. Could impoverished countries-- 2 H-Net Reviews not just in the southern hemisphere, but in Eu‐ alacrity that they were frequently able to influ‐ rope as well--sustain their populations and realize ence not just their conservationist constituencies, the kind of affluence that might avert commu‐ but also international bodies. In addition to nism? Much economic stability depended upon Borgstrm, Vogt, and Osborn, later neo-Malthu‐ sustainable resource exploitation, which, many sians like Garrett Hardin, Paul Ehrlich, and John policy analysts worried, was threatened by in‐ Holdren possessed this ability. creasing demand by increasing numbers. Examin‐ Linnr brings his study up to the present by ing both the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall examining the science of food production, raising Plan in light of demographic concerns, Linnr of‐ the successes and failures of the Green Revolu‐ fers a rather novel perspective on American for‐ tion, and the rise of biotechnology in food produc‐ eign policy and national security directly after tion, noting that industries like Monsanto seek to World War II. "By connecting population growth capitalize on neo-Malthusian rhetoric to force and food production with national security," Lin‐ their way into Africa and Europe. Indeed, Linnr's nr claims, "experts in universities and philan‐ careful reader might also draw intimate connec‐ thropic organizations were successful in captur‐ tions between the tensions implicit in resource ing the attention of political leaders in the United scarcity and pollution. In many respects, the pro‐ States. In the late 1940s, demography was inte‐ liferation of polluting chemicals in agriculture are grated into American national security planning" also a product of the scarcity crisis, demonstrating (p. 35). the multi-faceted nature of this social and envi‐ Linnr also provides a detailed account of the ronmental crisis. population and food expert Georg Borgstrm's ca‐ No work is fully comprehensive, however, reer, following his rise in Sweden, his forced res‐ and The Return of Malthus leaves some notable ignation, and the resumption of his career at gaps for further evaluation. Linnr does well to Michigan State University. In addition, Linnr dis‐ convey the notion that Malthus's ghost looms over cusses the influence of American neo-Malthusians the post-World War II human population-resource like Fairfield Osborn and William Vogt, but he crisis, but the reader might not learn as much strongly emphasizes Borgstrm's work, spanning about Malthus and his ideas as s/he might like. several chapters. Linnr is very clearly in his ele‐ Malthus's career certainly falls outside the time ment here, and he presents a very interesting sto‐ parameters set by Linnr's topic, but Malthus's on‐ ry. Borgstrm's case is a fascinating one, and he de‐ going influence might warrant more attention to serves more attention from environmental histo‐ his ideas and the relationship between his 1798 rians. Linnr's treatment is very strong, though one and 1803 treatises and postwar neo-Malthusian almost wants more. A future study focusing exclu‐ thought. Further, this is not a book about the his‐ sively on Borgstrm's work and career would be a tory of population growth. While Linnr is very ef‐ welcome addition to the historiography of envi‐ fective in discussing the debates surrounding the ronmental history.
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