Club Of Rome: Limits To Growth Model IB SL

What Is It? The Limits to Growth is a 1972 book modelling the consequences of a rapidly growing world population and finite resource supplies, commissioned by the Club of Rome. Five variables were examined in the original model, on the assumptions that exponential growth accurately described their patterns of increase, and that the ability of technology to increase the availability of resources grows only linearly.

World Population. Industrialization. Pollution. Food Production. The Variables World Population. Industrialization. Pollution. Food Production. Resource Depletion.

Purpose To explore how exponential growth interacts with finite resources. The size of resources is not known, only the general behaviour can be explored. It is predicted that the limits to growth would be reached by 2070.

Criticisms “The authors load their case by letting some things grow exponentially and others not. Population, capital and pollution grow exponentially in all models, but technologies for expanding resources and controlling pollution are permitted to grow, if at all, only in discrete increments.” the then-known resources of minerals and energy could, and would, grow in the future, and consumption growth rates could also decline.

Criticisms The theoretical expiry time for each resource would therefore need to be updated as new discoveries, technologies and trends came to light. Assuming continuation of the average rate of consumption growth, virtually all major minerals and energy resources would expire within 100 years of publication. Even if reserves were two times larger than expected, they state, ongoing growth in the consumption rate would still lead to the relatively rapid exhaustion of those reserves. On the other hand, reserves may continue to grow, considering the large amounts of minerals in the planet Earth.

Activity Using A2 Geography P183-185 answer the following questions... Describe and comment on the relationship between population and resources made by the Club Of Rome in 1972. How could this model be used and how true can it be to the future ahead? What problems can be raised by using this model, for example how accurate can it be?