Mankind at the Turning Point

The origins of integrated models of climate change

“…As from 1972, in response to criticism on the aggregate models of World, they launched a new modelling project led by Mihajlo Mesarovic (from Case Western University, Cleveland) and Eduard Pestel (from Hanover Polytechnic University). In 1974, the report of this work -which relied on an extremely complex modelling methodology (the 'multi-level hierarchical systems theories') applied to a division of the world into ten regions in which the model structure does not appearconcluded with the interdependency of the world's regions and the necessity to pursue an 'organic' growth that would be directed at developing the poorest regions in the world, instead of pursuing an 'undifferentiated'growth as had been the case so far (Mesarovic and Pestel, 1974).…”

Food, energy, and population: Are they “world” problems? An analysis of policy responses in Brazil, Tanzania, the United States, and Yugoslavia

“…As a consequence, the boom in world prices for these food products, which had fueled their export growth, also began to exercise a more determinant influence over domestic food prices as well. Domestic food prices rapidly accelerated in this period, peaking at a 20.1% rise in 1973, and averaged an annual increase of 9.6% for the [1971][1972][1973][1974][1975] period-nearly three times the rate of the previous five year period (see Table 21). Although the index of food consumption per person on a price weighted basis has risen over a long period of time, the amount of food energy consumed per person (pre^^nted in terms of calories) has declined.…”

“…All of these measures had some effect, with the number of women using family planning services increasing by about 72% over the [1968][1969][1970][1971][1972][1973][1974][1975][1976] period.…”

“…Immigration has, for example, become more important as a factor of yearly population increase as the birth rate has progressively declined. According to one study, between [1969][1970][1971][1972][1973][1974][1975] immigration as a proportion of annual population growth increased from 18.2% to 25.2% of total annual growth, making it a major factor in population growth which has not been adequately addressed.…”

The Helios strategy: An heretical view of the potential role of solar energy in the future of a small planet

“…Still others [49] have suggested the possibility of a global solar-energy network. This wide divergence in viewpoints will persist for a very long time, reflecting substantial uncertainties in important economic, technical, social, and environmental aspects of various energy strategies, coupled with widely differing personal philosophical viewpoints.…”