From Ron Gibson
Limits to Growth co-author Dennis Meadows, stated in his letter (21 January, p 28): “Humanity’s use of energy and materials is now so far above the globe’s long-term, sustainable capacity that collapse of some sort is inevitable.”
This reminded me of a conversation I had with American geophysicist M. King Hubbert, of the Hubbert curve/we-are-running-out-of-oil fame, about 50 years ago.
Me: “You have painted a most disturbing picture of our future; if we were to take the necessary steps, starting now, do you think we have time to avoid the collapse your models predict?”
Hubbert: “Oh, no, it is much too late – one slows down an ocean liner miles from the dock, not a quarter-mile away.”
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Exponentially growing consumption of finite resources fuelled by overpopulation is a recipe for disaster.
Hubbert then, like Meadows now, was crying out “iceberg ahead”, but these warnings have few listeners.
Irvine, California, US
