{"product_id":"models-of-doom-a-critique-of-the-limits-to-growth-9780876639054","title":"Models of Doom: A Critique of the Limits to Growth","description":"\u003cp\u003eHailed by some as an \"intellectual bombshell\" and decried by others as unprofessional sensationalism The Limits to Growth has created a stir throughout the world. Dennis L. Meadows  its main author  and his mentor Jay Forrester are MIT system analysts whose work represents the most ambitious attempt so far to bring together forecasts of population growth  pollution  resource depletion  food supply  and industrial output into a general model of the worlds future.  Models of Doom  by an interdisciplinary team at Sussex Universitys Science Policy Research Unit  examines the structure and assumptions of the MIT world models and a preliminary draft of Meadows technical reports. Based on computer runs  it shows that forecasts of the worlds future are very sensitive to a few key assumptions and suggests that the MIT assumptions are unduly pessimistic. Further  the Sussex scientists claim that the MIT methods  data  and predictions are faulty  that their world models--with their built-in Malthusian bias--do not accurately reflect reality.  The second part of the book assesses the models and their assumptions in the context of historical forecasts about economics (including those of Malthus and Keynes)  population  the environment  and technology. Here the Sussex scientists criticize the MIT approach for its lack of concern with politics  social structure  and human needs and aspirations. They assert that changing social values  not a part of the MIT computer input  can significantly affect the exponential growth of the worlds physical properties. Nevertheless  they agree with Forrester and Meadows about the urgency of the challenge and believe that dealing with foreseeable physical limits and disturbing the fruits of growth equitably will require radical political and social  as well as technological  changes.  Claiming that the Sussex critics have applied \"micro reasoning to macro problems \" the authors ofThe Limits to Growth  in \"A Response to Sussex \" describe and analyze five major areas of disagreement between themselves and the Sussex authors. Hailed by some as an \"intellectual bombshell\" and decried by others as unprofessional sensationalism The Limits to Growth has created a stir throughout the world. Dennis L. Meadows  its main author  and his mentor Jay Forrester are MIT system analysts whose work represents the most ambitious attempt so far to bring together forecasts of population growth  pollution  resource depletion  food supply  and industrial output into a general model of the worlds future.  Models of Doom  by an interdisciplinary team at Sussex Universitys Science Policy Research Unit  examines the structure and assumptions of the MIT world models and a preliminary draft of Meadows technical reports. Based on computer runs  it shows that forecasts of the worlds future are very sensitive to a few key assumptions and suggests that the MIT assumptions are unduly pessimistic. Further  the Sussex scientists claim that the MIT methods  data  and predictions are faulty  that their world models--with their built-in Malthusian bias--do not accurately reflect reality.  The second part of the book assesses the models and their assumptions in the context of historical forecasts about economics (including those of Malthus and Keynes)  population  the environment  and technology. Here the Sussex scientists criticize the MIT approach for its lack of concern with politics  social structure  and human needs and aspirations. They assert that changing social values  not a part of the MIT computer input  can significantly affect the exponential growth of the worlds physical properties. Nevertheless  they agree with Forrester and Meadows about the urgency of the challenge and believe that dealing with foreseeable physical limits and disturbing the fruits of growth equitably will require radical political and social  as well as technological  changes.  Claiming that the Sussex critics have applied \"micro reasoning to macro problems \" the authors ofThe Limits to Growth  in \"A Response to Sussex \" describe and analyze five major areas of disagreement between themselves and the Sussex authors.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45276847570997,"sku":"ByrdShop_0876639058","price":62.62,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780876639054.jpg?v=1780565439","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/models-of-doom-a-critique-of-the-limits-to-growth-9780876639054","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}