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The only impending shortage is a shortage of bad news

by: Simon, Julian Lincoln, 1932-; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. College of Commerce and Business Administration

Publication date: 1978

Topics: Population, Natural resources

Publisher: [Urbana, Ill.] : College of Commerce and Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Collection: university_of_illinois_urbana-champaign; americana

Contributor: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Language: English

Volume: BEBR No. 535

Includes bibliographical references (leaves [29-36])

"False bad news about population growth, natural resources, and the environment is published widely in the face of solid contradictory evidence. For example, the world supply of arable land has been increasing, the scarcity of natural resources including food and energy has been decreasing, and basic measures of U.S. environmental quality have positive trends. The aggregate data show no long run negative effect of population growth upon the standard of living, and my models that embody forces omitted in the past -- especially the influence of population size upon productivity increase -- suggest a long run positive effect. There are various possible reasons why the false bad news dominates the true good news. Personal values are certainly a key factor."