Comments on the Papers by Robinson, and Surrey and Page

Abstract

I propose to concentrate on the long-run issues discussed in these papers, in which context both can be regarded as a rebuttal of The Limits to Growth proposition that mankind faces the prospect of economic and social collapse due to resource exhaustion. This is not the only source of collapse considered by the Meadows group, and neither of the preceding papers seems to go for an unconditional ‘no collapse’ forecast. Professor Robinson is more worried about pollution than resource depletion, particularly thermal pollution. Surrey and Page seem to want to identify social and political factors, rather than physical limits, as the critical areas. The interconnections between such problems as resource depletion, pollution, population growth and social conflict are something which we should bear in mind in any discussion of the economics of resource depletion.