Abstract:
Exponential population growth and consumption characterize the 20th century.
These two phenomena have their roots in the agrarian revolution of the 17th century
and the ir dustrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe with their twin
beliefs in The unbounded plenty of nature and the power of human ingenuity
expressed through science and technology to reveal and make available the power of
nature. From Bacon to Saint-Simeon, western writers and thinkers expressed their
confidence in a bright future free of want.