Rates of population growth and ecological transformation are themselves exponential.
Evidence
Actual human transformation of the Earth’s ecosystem suggests just such trends. World human population did not reach its first billion until about 195 years ago, but to reach the next succeeding billions required only 115, 35, 15, and 11 years respectively. A comparable pattern is revealed by examining the various rates of ecological transformation occurring in the period beginning ten thousand years ago through 1985. Taking that total transformation as 100 percent and then estimating the dates for reaching the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of transformation for several indicators, the pace of change is starkly suggested. Water withdrawals reached those quartile percentage stages in 1925, 1955, 1975, and 1985; carbon releases did so in 1815, 1920, 1960, and 1985; and deforestation did so in 1700, 1850, 1915, and 1985. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 81
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Losing a fixed percentage each period produces exponential decay. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 946; Population growth offsets green technology gains and is a taboo topic for ecology; Unchecked population growth will be checked brutally by nature if not by policy — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 2606 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Losing a fixed percentage each period produces exponential decay.
#expands(0.85) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 946 - Population growth offsets green technology gains and is a taboo topic for ecology
#qualifies(0.80) - Ecological systems flip catastrophically once crossed thresholds are reached.
#expands(0.80) — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 86 - Unchecked population growth will be checked brutally by nature if not by policy
#exemplifies(0.75) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2606 - The economic model makes even population growth profitable by expanding labor and markets
#complicates(0.75)