ABSTRACT
A sort of freedom comes from recognizing what is necessarily so. After that is recognized, comes a knowledge of how to act. Growing numbers of people, especially in the affluent, overdeveloped parts of the world, are beginning to realize that the unrestricted satisfaction of all desires does not necessarily lead to well-being nor does the pursuit of happiness, in the form of material wealth, necessarily lead to security and self-fulfillment. The “limits to growth” debate is no longer about whether it is possible (or desirable) for infinite material growth to continue in a finite world. Rather, it is about when, and how a transition can be made to a sustainable and, it is hoped, a just society. The United States, on a per capita basis, consumes more natural resources than any other nation on earth. The important thing to notice about the effect of exponential growth is that depletion times are relatively unaffected by errors in estimated reserves.
