so were gonna be in a deprresion by 2030

r.prince18

A new study from researchers at Jay W. Forrester's institute at MIT says that the world could suffer from "global economic collapse" and "precipitous population decline" if people continue to consume the world's resources at the current pace.

Smithsonian Magazine writes that Australian physicist Graham Turner says "the world is on track for disaster" and that current evidence coincides with a famous, and in some quarters, infamous, academic report from 1972 entitled, "The Limits to Growth."

Produced for a group called The Club of Rome, the study's researchers created a computing model to forecast different scenarios based on the current models of population growth and global resource consumption. The study also took into account different levels of agricultural productivity, birth control and environmental protection efforts. Twelve million copies of the report were produced and distributed in 37 different languages.

Most of the computer scenarios found population and economic growth continuing at a steady rate until about 2030. But without "drastic measures for environmental protection," the scenarios predict the likelihood of a population and economic crash.

However, the study said "unlimited economic growth" is still possible if world governments enact policies and invest in green technologies that help limit the expansion of our ecological footprint.


The Smithsonian notes that several experts strongly objected to "The Limit of Growth's" findings, including the late Yale economist Henry Wallich, who for 12 years served as a governor of the Federal Research Board and was its chief international economics expert. At the time, Wallich said attempting to regulate economic growth would be equal to "consigning billions to permanent poverty."

Turner says that perhaps the most startling find from the study is that the results of the computer scenarios were nearly identical to those predicted in similar computer scenarios used as the basis for "The Limits to Growth."

"There is a very clear warning bell being rung here," Turner said. "We are not on a sustainable trajectory."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/next-great-depression-mit-researchers-predict-global-economic-190352944.html

kingblaze84

I've been saying this for years.....we need a combination of capitalism and socialism for long term growth to work. This current super capitalist path we're on now is destroying the environment and poisoning the Earth. Non stop natural gas and oil drilling is going to poison our showers and tap waters one day, watch and see. There just isn't enough resources on Earth to live like this....

Mix all that with the fact there are way too many people on Earth and we're headed for economic and environmental disaster. America is addicted to super capitalism and destroying the environment for money, so I doubt much will change here. Americans don't care very much about the next generation, especially the govt. I hope that report is wrong though

whar

I do not think socialism is needed just sustainable commodities. Look at the paper industry it has very naturally been zeroing in on sustainable paper production. This is in the best interest of those that participate in this market both the producer and the consumer. Unfortunately we have several commodities that our economy relies upon that can not be sustained. Things like coal and gas will eventually run out. However this is not as disastrous as it would seem either as these resources will not simply be consumed and we lurch to a halt. Instead they will slowly get harder and harder to produce thereby raising the cost. This will in turn make sustainable options like solar or hydrogen more and more appealing. Eventually we will hit a tipping point were the economy will reward these ideas.

(This does not address the potential damage coal and gas represent to the environment)

Sion

There's no truth to it its just theory, no one knows what the year 2030 holds. But to be honest there WILL be recessions, depressions throughout time and history but there will also be many more bouts of prosperity and growth.

Greece is in a depression as are many European countries right now.

I dont know why people like to be naive at times and think that recessions and depressions wont happen again LOLOL.

Sion

whar wrote: »

I do not think socialism is needed just sustainable commodities. Look at the paper industry it has very naturally been zeroing in on sustainable paper production. This is in the best interest of those that participate in this market both the producer and the consumer. Unfortunately we have several commodities that our economy relies upon that can not be sustained. Things like coal and gas will eventually run out. However this is not as disastrous as it would seem either as these resources will not simply be consumed and we lurch to a halt. Instead they will slowly get harder and harder to produce thereby raising the cost. This will in turn make sustainable options like solar or hydrogen more and more appealing. Eventually we will hit a tipping point were the economy will reward these ideas.

(This does not address the potential damage coal and gas represent to the environment)

I agree LOLOL

We all saw what happened to the Europeans in the past 2 years LOLOL.....

money23

It will happen way before 2030, and other chain of events will speed up the process

Sion

money23 wrote: »

It will happen way before 2030, and other chain of events will speed up the process

Yeah I agree.... I think in prolly 8-9 years from today there will be another recession. On average, there's usually 1-2 recessions per decade.

MorrisBX

Just added by Yahoo!

Correction: This post has been edited to reflect that MIT has not updated its research from the original 1972 study.

*phew*

We're still fukked tho

randomStalker2

no, America is the center of the world

VIBE

KingBlaze always been saying something for years lol

heyslick

Just another set of Al Gore types seeking recognition & trying to scare folks into accepting there theories....fear tactics are getting old. Whatever happened to Al Gore and his theories about global warming? BOGUS! lmao!

money23

VIBE wrote: »

KingBlaze always been saying something for years lol

but he has been saying truth for the past couple years