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The Age of Transition to Sustainability: The End of the Exponential Growth Period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2016

John Cairns Jr.
John Cairns Jr.*
Affiliation:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA
*
Correspondence should be sent to Department of Biology, 1020 Derring Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA (E-mail: jcairns@vt.edu).
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Abstract

Arguably, no curve in the world increases indefinitely—certainly no growth curve of human society. The quest for sustainable use of the planet involves estimating levels of activity, particularly resource use, that can continue indefinitely. Since the biosphere is dynamic, this continuation is not a stagnant, steady-state situation but rather a mutualistic interactive relationship between human society and the planet's ecological life support system. Human technology, creativity, and ingenuity may modify natural laws, but cannot be used to repeal them. Attempts to maintain the recent exponential growth of the human population, affluence, and artifacts cannot continue forever, or probably even for another century. At best, quality of life will be diminished, and, at worst, a substantial loss of human life will occur if both ethical and ecological issues are not freely and openly discussed. Sustainability may be visionary and unattainable, but it does offer an opportunity to improve the quality of life for future generations of humans and the other life forms, an opportunity that is far greater than possible with present unsustainable practices.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and the Life Sciences , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , September 2001 , pp. 131 - 138
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Politics and the Life Sciences 

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