July 19th, 2013

Logic, Math and The Coming Destruction of Civilization

No one can dispute that the earth's resources are finite.  Accordingly, there cannot, and will not, be either infinite population or infinite economic growth on the finite earth.  If the human population were to grow at the compound rate of one percent per year, in about 700 years the population would increase by a factor of the thousand (actually 1,024 times), reaching 7.2 trillion. According to my research, the United States strives for  levels of economic growth which are between 2.5% and 3.0% per year, compounded. If the economy of the United States were to grow at the compound rate of 2.5% per year, in just 280 years it would be 1000 times (actually 1,024 times­) as large as the current economy. And that cannot and will not happen. 

All humanity must understand that both economic and population growth will cease in the very near future and no action taken by humanity and no discovery or technological advance  made by humanity will permit either continuous population or continuous economic growth.