Deep thought – May 13
Letter from Sweden: The State of the End of the World
Using Thermodynamics to (Re)Examine Environmental Kuznets Curves
Why I Fired My Broker
The Century of The Rights of Mother Earth
Population
When the oil gives out (new book excerpt)
“One way to evaluate the prospects of Eldertown might be to start from the viewpoint of one of the more apocalyptic environmental groups. The peak oil movement focuses tightly on the issue of energy, the Achilles heel of industrial society. Convinced that global oil production will soon peak — or perhaps already has — the peak oilers predict a horrendous cascade of disasters in our near future.”
(Roszak was author of the 60s classic The Making of a Counter-Culture. In this book, he predicts that as the Baby Boomers become seniors, they will shake society once again – for the better)
Blessing or a burden: population, reproduction and the demographic imagination
Whatever methods of restraint we eventually enact – and I think we will enact them, so let them be good ones, that lead to a justice and honorable society – we must begin from this – every child that we have, every birth is a gift, and if our gifts are fewer than in past years, we must only treasure them the more.
Peak People: The Interrelationship between Population Growth and Energy Resources
This paper investigates the link between population growth, energy resources and carrying capacity at a global level, to determine if there might be dependencies and if so, how they could be modelled. Different qualities of energy resources may interact differently with population growth. Finally the implications of a peak in energy resource availability on population growth are examined.
Population – April 17
Paying for the excesses of youth
Consumption dwarfs population as main environmental threat
Attenborough warns on population
Overpopulation is a cultural challenge
Consumerism & its critics – Apr 16
Andy Rooney Comments On The Changing Environment And Admits He’s Part Of The Problem
WWF Scotland boss calls for energy wasters to be prosecuted
The Gospel of Consumption and the better future we left behind
Equality Needs to Be Our Organizing Principle
Consumption dwarfs population as main environmental threat
Malthus and vice
Malthus might have earned more respect for his Law of Population if he hadn’t proposed it just at the moment when human production first tapped into the coal seams and oil streams that fueled the industrial expansion. It is only today, when those resources have peaked, that we are revealed to be much more like the other animals than we thought…
Population – April 6
U.N. sees falling Middle East fertility rates
Chinese hunger for sons fuels boys’ abductions
US science advisor: Earth population ‘exceeds limits’
Review: Future Scenarios by David Holmgren
Future Scenarios serves as a good introduction to the concept of future energy descent/climate change scenarios.
United Kingdom – Mar 23
Britain set to become most populous country in EU
Food and energy shortages will create ‘perfect storm’, says Prof John Beddington
Government borrowing ‘to swell’
Happiness & dysfunction – March 22
Are we happier in the West?
U! S! A! We’re Number …. 15?
Experts agree giant, razor-clawed bioengineered crabs pose no threat
U.N. raises “low” population projection for 2050
Common myths of the population debate
In any debate there are particular key arguments that are used to undermine the opponent. A debate as heated as that over the importance, or not, of population growth is sure to feature these. It should be clear to readers of my essay published last week that I regard population growth as the core issue in any discussion on sustainability. Many of the arguments used by those who wish to dismiss or lessen the importance of population growth are false, misleading or simply mental tricks allowing their advocates the comfort of self-deception.
