Cornucopian fallacies: the myth of perpetual growth

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · Futurist; (United States)

OSTI ID:5657264

Grant, L

Cornucopians such as Julian Simon and Herman Kahn argue that the limits to growth have been greatly exaggerated. But Mr. Grant feels their arguments simply ignore or dismiss the most critical issues that environmentalists warn about, namely: (1) the cornucopians pay little attention to causation, and they project past economic trends mechanically; (2) they casually dismiss the evidence that doesn't fit; (3) they employ a static analysis that makes no provision for feedback from one sector to another; (4) they understate the implications of geometric growth; and (5) they base their predictions on an extraordinary faith in uninterrupted technological progress.

• OSTI ID: 5657264
• Journal Information: Futurist; (United States), Journal Name: Futurist; (United States) Vol. 17:4; ISSN FUTUA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
CONSTRAINTS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMICS
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS