Sustainability 101: Exponential Growth - Arithmetic, Population and Energy (Full - Updated)

Dr. Albert Bartlett discusses the implications of unending growth on economies, population, and resources. Presented at UBC on 5/19/2011.

This compelling lecture is easy to pay attention to and gives a basic introduction to the arithmetic of steady growth, including an explanation of the concept of doubling time. He explains the impact of unending steady growth on population. He then examines the consequences steady growth in a finite environment and observes this growth as applied to fossil fuel consumption, the lifetimes of which are much shorter than the optimistic figures most often quoted.

He proceeds to examine oddly reassuring statements from "experts", the media and political leaders - statements that are dramatically inconsistent with the facts. He discusses the widespread worship of economic growth and population growth in western society. Professor Bartlett explains "sustainability" in the context of the First Law of Sustainability:

"You cannot sustain population growth and / or growth in the rates of consumption of resources.

This 1708th presentation of this matierial by Dr. Bartlett brings the listener to understand and appreciate the implications of unending growth on a finite planet, and closes noting the crucial need for education on this topic.

Professor Bartlett has given this celebrated one-hour lecture beginning in September, 1969, to audiences with an average attendance of 80 in the United States and world-wide. His audiences have ranged from junior high school and college students to corporate executives and scientists, and to congressional staffs. For more information, see http://www.AlBartlett.org .

Updated content begins around 40 minutes in.

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[phillips78]

Keep going Dr Bartlett, you are brilliant! There is more on this topic at "overconsumpulation" and "one planet, one child".

[glorp896]

as to Pilzer's book: technology, which, it is assumed, creates wealth without limit by a process revealingly labeled "economic alchemy" propounds a gospel of no limits for all... just how many can we have as ALL?... if u don't like this guy in this video, or his arch-nemesis Paul Zane Biliionaire, u can use this utube video as a response:

"May God Have Mercy On Your Soul"

as to the other Paul of the Ehrlich type:

"The Population Explosion", his 1990 book, but he did write more recent books

[RayDandy]

@Kerolden the link is wrong, but i think its called "Tracking the ecological overshoot of the human economy"

[christo930]

@hitssquad It's been too many years since I learned this stuff:) But thanks for the reply, I'll check it out.

[hitssquad]

@Kerolden "this is what i mean when i say sustainability [pnas]"

Sustainability isn't defined there.

.

"the reference is garbage"

I didn't ask you if you thought it was garbage. You have no response to any of Julian Simon's logic or facts? You have no response to any of mine, nor to any of my questions?

[Kerolden]

@hitssquad the reference is garbage,no science whatsoever,not surprisingly that "research" is from an unqualified individual,he has zero education in these topics and hes from the heritage foundation,wow,what a joke.yeah i'm sure he has no bias.

[Kerolden]

@hitssquad this is what i mean when i say sustainability, wwwDOTpnasDOTorg/content/99/14­/9266DOTlong

[hitssquad]

@Kerolden "these dont resolve the basic requirement of sustainability."

What's "sustainability"? Who's "requiring" it?

.

"arable land is certainly a natural resource"

Nope: juliansimon. com/writings/Ultimate_Resource "Chapter 8 Are We Losing Ground?"

"Chapter 9 Two Bogeymen: "Urban Sprawl" and Soil Erosion"

"Chapter 10 Water, Wood, Wetlands--And What Next?"

"Chapter 29 Population Growth And Land"

[hitssquad]

@Kerolden "where exactly did 10 percent come from"

Here: juliansimon. com/writings/Articles/LEBATLAN­. txt

I'd thought he'd said 10. It was actually 20: "even leaving 20% of the land area for streets, parks, and buildings other than housing."

.

"utilities(energy) [...] is a huge resource and land hog)"

You want energy utilities that serve Boulder to move *into* Boulder? Why? You're saying your demand is that Boulder be made into an island? What's wrong with trading beyond Boulder for energy?

[Kerolden]

@hitssquad your math and these ideas you put forward are arbitrary(where exactly did 10 percent come from,youre making figures up,this is not an accurate estimate of how much land would be needed for roads and parks,also the big issue of utilities(energy) has not been mentioned,which is a huge resource and land hog).these dont resolve the basic requirement of sustainability.arable land is certainly a natural resource,that statement is nonsense.