The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 19, Ed. 1 Monday, October 27, 1975 Page: 3 of 8
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Limits to Growth '75
//
(continued from page 1)
predictions part of some far-off
mightmare: the collapse could
come within 25 years. Their
conclusion was that the
consequences of unlimited
growth could be avoided only
if mankind moves out of the
present growth mode and into
a balanced steady-state of
global equilibrium in which
growth factors would be
stabilized.
In the three years since the
report's publication, there
have been many more
predictions and continuous
debate as to their validity. In
1974, Forrester's second
report, Mankind at the
Turning Point, was pre-
sented to the Club of Rome.
Again, the tone was pessi-
mistic.
Franco. . .
(continued from page 2)
ever. It is sufficient to say that
only ten days after the
executions, ten policemen and
three civilians were shot. The
three civilians and two of the
policemen were shot acciden-
tally by the police during an
attack to a police station.
In our opinion four
outstanding facts should be
noted:
1. Never, during this
century, was Europe so
unanimously united, from the
Vatican to Moscow, about a
crime.
2. It is most significant that
Israel, in spite of its
beleagured international
situation, condemned the
executions. Yet the terrorism
of the last few years was
almost centered against
Israel. The reason is, wf
believe, that nobody knows the
price of freedom as well as they
do.
3. The reaction of the non-
Communist Europe was much
stronger and swifter than that
of the Communist countries.
4. Against this background,
the American indifference,
and even apology to ftraffco, is
something that Americans
should keep in mind when they
wonder: Why don't they love
us anymore?
Finally, all alliances with
dictators become liablities and
Spain will prove it again.
Europe understood it, America
didn't...yet. There is only one
way against totalitarianism:
DEMOCRACY.
Juan Garcia Duran
Fondren Library
(The author of this letter was
condemned to death twice by
Franco. The first time, during
the civil war, because he tried
to escape to the Republican
zone. The second, because he
was the Secretary General of
the clandestine "Alianza
Nacional de Fuerzas Demo-
craticas" (1945-46), composed
of all opposition parties but the
Communists. After nine years
in jail, he escaped from a
prison in Madrid and fled to
France.
He published dozens of
articles and four books on the
civil war, the last one being a
Ph.D. thesis. J.G.D.)
The reports point to
overpopulation as the major
problem facing man's
survival. The recurring fear is
that population will grow so
large as to overtax the planet's
ability to feed and provide
materials. The inescapable
result is famine and severe
resource shortages. Even if
population is controlled,
though, reports predict that
overconsumption and waste
will lead to the same
shortages. Ultimately, they
suggest, the solution must
come at the individual level:
people must learn to consume
less.
Opposing views
The conference at the
Woodlands attempted to bring
together people from many
different fields to present
opposing views of the
consequences resulting from
continued growth. According
to Dennis Meadows, co-author
of the original studies and
program director of the
conference, their purpose is
"not to promote a particular
view" but rather to "establish
set of questions, those
questions of how to deal with
growth."
Participating in the
conference were scientists and
representatives from industry.
There were a few government
officials present, including
Sens. Mike Gravel of Alaska
and Jacob Javits of New York.
There were also a handful of
students. Noticeably absent
from the conference were
people from "third world"
nations.
The conference attempted to
analyze the problems of
growth from many different
facets. Panel discussions were
arranged in conjunction with
the presentation of papers on
food production, iniergy
shortages, new energy
sources, governmental
responses, psychological
limits, education, and
population. Many of the
papers predicted food
shortages in the near future,
pointing out that already only
the United States and Canada
are able to export food and
neither of these countries can
continue to support the global
the legitimacy of a particular population.
DOOIESBUKT
Presenting a more opti-
mistic view of the world,
•though, was Herman Kahn,
founding director of the
Hudson Institute "think
tank." Kahn attempted to
refute the Malthusian view
presented by most conference
participants, arguing that
growth is natural and in the
long run will control itself
without artificial constraints.
Space satellites
On the more absurd side
were proposals to build
permanent space satellites,
placed in orbit not only to
contain overflowing popula-
tion but also to be power plants
for the surface. It sounds like
science fiction, but the work
that has been done is
impressive.
Most prominent among the
conference participants was
Dr. Jonas Salk (the same one
who developed the polio
vaccine), who presented
biological models for the limits
to growth. Salk has just
completed two books dealing
with the issue of growth and
its control, Man Unfolding
and Survival of the Wisest.
The success of the confer-
ence in formulating any
concrete alternatives to
growth or in significantly
educating the participants to
the problems facing the world
is questionable. There were
few governmental represen-
tatives at the conference,
particularly those from
foreign governments. The
majority of the participants
were industrial leaders and
most of them were so bold as to
declare themselves "un-
abashed capitalists." Many
appeared to believe, despite all
the questions raised, that their
own way of doing things was
the only possible way.
Supernational concern
Amidst such firmly-held
views, though, the words of
Sicco Mansholt at the opening
of the conference were largely
overlooked. He said, "In the
capitalistic society based on
profit-making it is impossible
to accept restrictions...Fun-
damental changes in the
international institutions are
a necessity. To master
supernational problems, we
need supernatural institu-
tions and power."
h-
NO BIG PEAL-IT'S A
VERY FAMILIAR SCENARIO.
THEY QUARREL. MP YELLS
MOM ROARS OUT OF THE MY GOD,
DRIVEWAY IN A SPRAY WOULDN'T
0F6RAVEL. AND THEN YOU?!
PAD 60ES10 PIECES! 1
HECK, NO -
IT'S JUST MOM'S
U/AY OF GETTING
OUT OF THE HOUSE
ONCEANP AWHILE!
\S/6M..P00R
OCPAP..MOM
SPLIT A6AIN.
THANKS FOR
CALLING, PAP...
I'M SORRY,
MAN...BECOOL,
OKAY?.. 'BYE.
/
YOU'RE
KIPPING!
\
□
YEAH, I KNOW, PAP, OF
COURSE YOU MISS HER,
BUT... PAP, THE FIRST
I WAS
ISTDNl H0PIN6 YOU'D
uuiuim 5Ay mAJ^
SON...
OH, ALRIGHT, PAP
IF IT'S THAT BAP
HEY, PAD, 1"D LOVE
YOU TO COMB VISIT,
BUT I'VE GOT MID-
TERMS, MAN..
YOU CAN COME STAY
WITH ME FOR A
'U/HILE.
PAY OR TWO ARE
« ALWAYS ROU6H... NOW,
PAP, I CANT FIGURE
YOU OUT! I MEAN, W
KNOW MOM'LL COME
\ BACK-SHE ALWAYS
; POES! SHE JUST
> NEEDS'® BE BY
« HERSELF SOME-
TIMES!)
IDUNNO,
SON...
X
WELL, MAT WAS IT
THIS VME? WHAT PIP
YOU ANP MOM FIGHT
ABOUT? SOMETHING
~ DUMB, RIGHT?
DAP?..
mtr
OUR TM
DAP, INSTRUCTOR
IF YOU PUT THE
WONT.. MOVES ON
I HER.
the rice thresher, monday, october 27, 1975 — page 3
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Brewton, Gary. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 19, Ed. 1 Monday, October 27, 1975, newspaper, October 27, 1975; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245259/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.