Limits To Growth
The book, "Limits to Growth" made predictions about the environment using computer models, which was a matter of concern for the whole world. Million of copies of the book were sold making it the best selling book on the environment. It was published in 1972 which stated that due to excessive use of natural resources in our world will collapse by the middle of the twenty first century(ECON3056, 136).
The main objective of the book was about the excessive use of natural resources by the developed nations which will create a hindrance to economic growth. The increase in population of the whole world with a high mortality rate and birth rate, increase in the level of pollution due to high industrial production, extraction of minerals, etc. are causing the problems of economic growth as explained in the figure 13.1 in the "Testing the forecasts of the Limits To Growth"(ECON3056,137)
Though the above problems are a major concern of our environment, but the prediction of the collapse of the world was to some extent not correct. The population growth as predicted increased at a lesser rate as the highly populated nations like India, China started using both control measures to control population and foster economic growth. So the whole population also decreased. The food production in order to meet the needs of the people was facing a problem, but through Green Revolution the food production with new methods increased. New technologies were also used by the industries to reduced pollution.
All these measures were not considered in the book "Limit to Growth" but the predictions made are not incorrect because it is our world and we should take care of it. If we do not think about the environment, then it is not far that our world will face global warming like rise in sea levels due to melting of mountain glaciers, fluctuations in temperature, scarcity of food which will lead to the collapse of our world.
The most interesting part is that long before some predictions were made about our environment so that we take steps to stop this, but we, humans are so busy in our daily lives that we are less concerned about our environment. We have left it to the government, but we should also be careful in our daily lives to stop polluting ,wasting water, food and maintaining the ecological balance.
Works Cited
“A Course in the Economics of Natural Resources". ECON 3056 - 2016 V1/2
