Club Of Rome Research Articles

Some of the Nineteenth Century Origins of the Sustainability Concept

Interpreting and applying the concept of sustainable development is increasingly viewed as being the way to promulgate just and practicable economic, environmental and social policy. It is thus important that there be increased public and political awareness concerning the origins of economic theory, and its early relationship to sustainability concepts. While the term 'sustainable development' was popularised by the World Commission on Environment and Development report Our Common Future in 1987, it is generally recognised that notions of sustainability were promoted in `limits to growth' and 'green' discourses in the early 1970s (Meadows et al.: 1974, The Limits to Growth: A Report for the Club of Rome, Potomac Associates and Pan Books, London and Sydney). However, there is little acknowledgement of the way in which nineteenth century intellectuals, from a range of disciplines, conceptualised the importance of balancing economic, social and environmental sustainability in their quest for justice and the conservation of nature. There was a considerable exchange of ideas on `political economy' and nature across Europe, and later the Americas, from the middle of the eighteenth century. This discourse reached its intellectual peak in the nineteenth century. During that era there was a proliferation of literature that was aimed at improving the human condition and recognising humanity's dependence upon nature. In Europe and the USA the participants in the debate included Cantillon, Quesnay, Condorcet, Galiani, Von Hayek, Marx and George. Due to the breadth of this influential body of work, we focus here on the British Victorian thinkers such as Darwin, Malthus, Martineau and Mill. These thinkers influenced each other in developing their theories and ideas in science, politics, economics and philosophy, and were influenced in turn by an earlier generation of intellectuals, such as Adam Smith. For the Victorian thinkers, conserving nature while trying to improve the distribution of wealth was a not a paradox, but a moral duty, and for them Smith's `rational' pursuit of self-interest could only be followed if it did not interfere with 'the rules of justice'. We argue that the manner in which these thinkers conceptualised their theories and ideas represents the nineteenth century origins of sustainability concepts.

The Myth of Sustainable Development: Personal Reflections on Energy, its Relation to Neoclassical Economics, and Stanley Jevons

The Myth of Sustainable Development: Personal Reflections on Energy, its Relation to Neoclassical Economics, and Stanley Jevons

Limits to Growth? – A Perspective on the Perpetual Debate

The publication of the Club of Rome’s report Limits to Growth in 1972 sparked an intense and polarised debated which has remained very much alive in the subsequent three decades. The task of resolving the existence of any limits to economic growth has become the ultimate goal of much of the science and socio-political economics that address issues of sustainability. Although the advancement of technology and scientific understanding has undeniably altered the terms and parameters of the limits debate, it has also unveiled new fears, and a growing realisation of our capacity to curtail and diminish the future welfare of mankind. There is strong evidence that although we appear to have alleviated many of the earlier concerns of resource depletion, the threat of other physical limits to growth are as prevalent as they ever have been, particularly with respect to the production of waste materials. Moreover, it is increasingly likely that despite theoretical arguments which describe the potential of technology and human ingenuity, real-world complications, uncertainty and basic human aspirations will have a major role in shaping the future pattern of environmental degradation, and human welfare.

Why is the Employment Rate of Older Swiss so High? An Analysis of the Social Security System

Extracts of this paper were presented at the conference "Work Beyond 60: Preparing for the Demographic Shock", 6–7 March 2003 in Vienna organized by The Geneva Association, The Club of Rome, and The Risk Institute. Parts were also presented at the Bertelsmann Foundation conference "Strategien gegen den Fachkraftemangel" in Berlin, 2 July 2002 and at the Bertelsmann Foundation conference "Reformen zur Steigerung der Beschaftigungsfahigkeit alterer Arbeitskrafte" in Berlin, 26 October 2001. The authors would like to thank the participants as well as Jaap van Dam, Thomas Liebig, Fred Henneberger, and Genevieve Reday-Mulvey for their valuable comments and discussions. Alfonso Sousa-Poza would like to thank the Swiss National Science Foundation for financial assistance. The usual disclaimer applies.

Science, Modernity, and the Making of China's One‐Child Policy

China's one‐child‐per‐couple policy represents an extraordinary attempt to engineer national wealth, power, and global standing by drastically braking population growth. Despite the policy's external notoriety and internal might, its origins remain obscure. In the absence of scholarly research on this question, public discourse in the United States has been shaped by media representations portraying the policy as the product of a repressive communist regime. This article shows that the core ideas underlying the one‐child policy came instead from Western science, in particular from the Club of Rome's world‐in‐crisis work of the early 1970s. Drawing on research in science studies, the article analyzes the two notions lying at the policy's core—that China faced a virtual “population crisis” and that the one‐child policy was “the only solution” to it—as human constructs forged by specific groups of scientists working in particular, highly consequential contexts. It documents how the fundamentally political process of constituting population as an object of science and governance was then depoliticized by scientizing rhetorics that presented China's population crisis and its only solution as numerically describable, objective facts. By probing the human and historical character of population research, this article underscores the complexity of demographic knowledge‐making and the power of scientific practices in helping constitute demographic reality itself.

Books of Note

Review of Policy ResearchVolume 20, Issue 2 p. 341-344 Books of Note First published: 28 June 2008 https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-1338.t01-1-00010AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume20, Issue2June 2003Pages 341-344 RelatedInformation

Peace Architecture

In the sixties the green and the peace movements alerted the international community of the deterioration of the environment and of the danger of nuclear conflicts. Since then, the green movement has been transformed into political parties, departments, jobs, environmental impact assessments and several international regimes. The first publication of the Club of Rome in 1972, Limits of Growth, had a catalyzing effect for raising life and death questions that confront mankind and claiming that planetary planning was the most important business on earth (Meadows 1972). The peace movement, on the other hand, evolved differently. There were some peak moments such as the peace marches in the eighties, but the impacts were weaker and less decisive. One explanation is that the peace movement had to cope with the strong bureaucracies of foreign offices and of defense departments that claimed the expertise. Another explanation is that a great deal of the peace movement does not define peace as a collective good. Being removed from the embedded conflict gives a false sense of apartness making some conflicts seem irrelevant to societies at peace. The possibility of cruise missiles hitting peaceful countries caused huge peace marches; the snipers in Sarajevo did not. A third reason is that costs of violence continue to be underestimated because of inadequate estimates of the price of failed conflict prevention (Reychler 1999a).

Some observations regarding a missing elephant

The late Don Michael was one of the intellectual fathers of futures studies. He became a member of the Club of Rome in the pioneering days of The Limits to Growth and went on to influence the direction of futures thought in profound ways. His main contribution was in futures of learning: Learning to Plan and Planning to Learn, first published in 1973 and republished in 1997, is still considered a pioneering work in the field. His other works, including Next Generation: The Prospect Ahead for the Youth of Today and Tomorrow (1965), Future Society (1970) and New Competence: The Organisation as Learning System (1980) have all made significant contributions to futures studies. He died on 5 November 2000, after living with pancreatic cancer for a number of years. A few weeks before his death, Don Michael submitted the following article to Futures. It was first presented as an acceptance speech after receiving an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center, San Francisco, October 1998.

Lubricants based on renewable resources – an environmentally compatible alternative to mineral oil products

The development of lubricants like, e.g. engine and hydraulic oils was traditionally based on mineral oil as a base fluid. This fact is related to the good technical properties and the reasonable price of mineral oils. The Report to the Club of Rome (W.W. Behrens III, D.H. Meadows, D.I. Meadows, J. Randers, The limits of growth, A Report to the Club of Rome, 1972) and the two oil crises of 1979 and 1983, however, elucidated that mineral oil is on principle a limited resource. In addition, environmental problems associated with the production and use of chemicals and the limited capacity of nature to tolerate pollution became obvious (G.H. Brundtland, et al., in: Hauff, Volker (Ed.), World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Report of the Brundtland-Commission, Oxford, UK, 1987), and the critical discussion included besides acid rain, smog, heavy metals, and pesticides also mineral oil (especially oil spills like the case Exxon Valdes). A disadvantage of mineral oil is its poor biodegradability and thus its potential for long-term pollution of the environment. From the early development of lubricants for special applications (e.g. turbojet engine oils) it was known, that fatty acid polyol esters have comparable or even better technical properties than mineral oil. Subsequently, innumerable synthetic esters have been synthesized by systematic variation of the fatty acid and the alcohol components. Whereas the alcohol moiety of the synthetic esters are usually of petrochemical origin, the fatty acids are almost exclusively based on renewable resources. The physico-chemical properties of oleochemical esters can cover the complete spectrum of technical requirements for the development of high-performance industrial oils and lubricants (e.g. excellent lubricating properties, good heat stability, high viscosity index, low volatility and superior shear stability). For a comprehensive review of their technical properties see F. Bongardt, in: Jahrbuchfür Praktiker, H. Ziolkowsky (Ed.), Verlag für chemische Industrie GmbH, 1996, pp. 348–361. This article will focus on the ecological properties of oleochemical (synthetic) esters. The environmental relevance of oleochemicals in comparison to petrochemicals is discussed, and then the principles of an ecological assessment are described. The ecotoxicological properties and the biodegradability of oleochemical esters are presented. Finally, the ecological properties of the oleochemical esters are discussed with regard to existing environmental classification and labeling systems.

Futures studies in Italy and The limits to growth

This article describes the introduction of futures studies to Italy and especially the contribution of Aurelio Peccei, the founder of the Club of Rome and an inspiration behind The limits to growth. To set the scene, the author shows how Italian futures studies absorbed technocratic and visionary ideas from prospective studies in France, particularly those of Bertrand de Jouvenel and Gaston Berger. The author explains Aurelio Peccei's role in promoting Limits and the Club of Rome. She reflects also on her own personal involvement with Peccei, as a friend, as member of the Club of Rome, and as a long-standing participant in the Italian and worldwide futures movement.

The Club of Rome and sustainable development

What remains of The limits to growth after 25 years? What impact would it have in the next 25 years? This essays attempts to answer these questions by examining the notions of sustainability and eco-technologies.

The Latin American World Model (a.k.a. the Bariloche model): three decades ago

Almost twenty five years ago, “Catastrophe and New Society. A Latin American World Model” was published [Herrera AO et al. Catastrophe or New Society? A Latin American World Model. Canada: DRC, 1976]. It described the work of a group of Latin American researchers, led by the late Amilcar O. Herrera, and it represented both a response to the diagnostic and proposal embodied in World 3, the first world model sponsored by the Club of Rome [Meadows D, et al. The Limits to Growth. New York: Universe Books, 1972], and a new proposal for the global system. It remains to date the only global model made in the South. The present paper is a personal reflection by one of the authors of the Latin American World Model (LAWM) on what the model meant (and what it may still mean) in the context of the limits debate and the more general issue of the future(s) of the world system.

Sustainable development in production and consumption of products. Beyond Club of Rome and Summit of Rio: how far have we come?

This article gives an account of the state of the art of sustainable development with a focus on Germany. The discussion considers different aspects such as protection of non-renewable materials and energy, material flow management, re-use of products and environmental management under economical aspects, and leads to the recognition of a need for action. To prevent a departure from sustainable development, caused by the nations' economic fight for survival, a change in politics and education is required. Apart from technical and economical aspects, new social and ecological ways in our behaviour must be implemented. Rich industrial nations should take responsibility for sustainable development by redistribution of investments on a global basis. Investments in environmental technology in developing countries would lead to a higher reduction of emissions compared with the same amount of investment in western countries. Furthermore, the internalisation of environmental costs must be implemented, those responsible for pollution have to be liable for the resulting damage. The environment as common property needs to be valued. To strengthen the idea of sustainability the next generations should be taught this concept. The German education system needs to teach practical project work. Students should be trained in project management by working on industrial R&D problems. The organisation of a network integrating industry with schools and universities would innovate education. Such networks also need special tools for life cycle assessment in order to establish sustainable development in education systems. The practical conversion to sustainable development therefore demands severe social changes. In this article, a vision for the realisation of this task is created.

99/03414 Developing innovative technology

The development of lubricants like, e.g. engine and hydraulic oils was traditionally based on mineral oil as a base fluid. This fact is related to the good technical properties and the reasonable price of mineral oils. The Report to the Club of Rome (W.W. Behrens III, D.H. Meadows, D.I. Meadows, J. Randers, The limits of growth, A Report to the Club of Rome, 1972) and the two oil crises of 1979 and 1983, however, elucidated that mineral oil is on principle a limited resource. In addition, environmental problems associated with the production and use of chemicals and the limited capacity of nature to tolerate pollution became obvious (G.H. Brundtland, et al., in: Hauff, Volker (Ed.), World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Report of the Brundtland-Commission, Oxford, UK, 1987), and the critical discussion included besides acid rain, smog, heavy metals, and pesticides also mineral oil (especially oil spills like the case Exxon Valdes). A disadvantage of mineral oil is its poor biodegradability and thus its potential for long-term pollution of the environment. From the early development of lubricants for special applications (e.g. turbojet engine oils) it was known, that fatty acid polyol esters have comparable or even better technical properties than mineral oil. Subsequently, innumerable synthetic esters have been synthesized by systematic variation of the fatty acid and the alcohol components. Whereas the alcohol moiety of the synthetic esters are usually of petrochemical origin, the fatty acids are almost exclusively based on renewable resources. The physico-chemical properties of oleochemical esters can cover the complete spectrum of technical requirements for the development of high-performance industrial oils and lubricants (e.g. excellent lubricating properties, good heat stability, high viscosity index, low volatility and superior shear stability). For a comprehensive review of their technical properties see F. Bongardt, in: Jahrbuchfür Praktiker, H. Ziolkowsky (Ed.), Verlag für chemische Industrie GmbH, 1996, pp. 348–361. This article will focus on the ecological properties of oleochemical (synthetic) esters. The environmental relevance of oleochemicals in comparison to petrochemicals is discussed, and then the principles of an ecological assessment are described. The ecotoxicological properties and the biodegradability of oleochemical esters are presented. Finally, the ecological properties of the oleochemical esters are discussed with regard to existing environmental classification and labeling systems.

The Limits of Social Cohesion: Conflict and Mediation in Pluralist Societies: A Report of the Bertelsmann Foundation to the Club of Rome

The Limits of Social Cohesion: Conflict and Mediation in Pluralist Societies: A Report of the Bertelsmann Foundation to the Club of Rome

Sustainability, sustainable development and forest resources

SUMMARY There are competing views on sustainability which mainly stem from differences in assumptions upon which each of these views is based. Perhaps the most debated assumption is the extent to which manufactured capital and natural capital are substitutes. Neo-Malthusians, the Club of Rome, and other Stationary-State theorists fill the ranks of the legion of pessimistic economists who fear any negative changes in the total stock of natural capital. Diametrically opposed to these doomsayers stands Solow (1986) and other optimistically inclined neoclassical economists who look favourably on the ‘Backstop Technology Theory’ of resource use. Falling inconspicuously between the polar extremes, there is a third group of theorists who incorporate certain aspects of each of the other two groups in addition to employing the principles embodied by Hartwick's Rule. The term sustainable development (SD) is also subject to considerable debate. This paper examines various concepts of sustainability and SD. Policy makers need operational guidelines to help them determine the degree to which these concepts are useful in specific situations. The paper addresses this need by focusing on forest resources in general and those of California in particular. A simulation/linear programming forest resource assessment model was applied to California's private forests to demonstrate that strict decade-to-decade ‘even-flow’ stability of production may result in lower aggregate levels of output over a prolonged planning period, with ending levels of the stock resource that are scarcely greater than when output is permitted to vary over the planning period. The model was also used to show that greater levels of output and ending stocks are possible when the land base for sustainability assessment is not a restrictively small geographical area or a single class of ownership. The application of the concepts becomes significantly more complex when amenity values and public ownership are considered.

New Report of the Club of Rome

Ernst Ulrich von Weizsaecker, L. Hunter Lovins, Amory R. Lovins: Faktor Vier:Doppelter Wohlstand - halbierter Naturverbrauch. Der neue Rericht an den Club of Rome. München 1995, 351 stran.

Sustainable Development and Technology Assessment

Changes in the environmental consciousness of wealthy western societies began to appear in the 1960s. These changes manifested themselves in three ways. First, in the mid-1960s the term “Technology Assessment”(TA) was coined in the USA. The TA discussion in Germany – as well as in other comparable countries – led to growing TA activities and the opening of institutions connected with Technology Assessment. Secondly, in 1968, the Club of Rome was founded, which in 1972 brought out its first study “The Limits to Growth”. Thirdly, the sustainability debate followed and intensified with the report in 1980 “Global 2000” and the Brundtland report in 1987 “Our Common Future“, which formulated the concept of sustainable development. Debates intensified further in 1992 with the “Agenda 21“, the closing document of the Rio Conference for Environment and Development. The following will show both that the diffuse idea of sustainability can be operationalized with the technology assessment concept and – as has recently taken place at the TU Clausthal – that technology assessment should be established in research and teaching at the university level.

Sustainable Development and Technology Assessment

Changes in the environmental consciousness of wealthy western societies began to appear in the 1960s. These changes manifested themselves in three ways. First, in the mid-1960s the term “Technology Assessment”(TA) was coined in the USA. The TA discussion in Germany – as well as in other comparable countries – led to growing TA activities and the opening of institutions connected with Technology Assessment. Secondly, in 1968, the Club of Rome was founded, which in 1972 brought out its first study “The Limits to Growth”. Thirdly, the sustainability debate followed and intensified with the report in 1980 “Global 2000” and the Brundtland report in 1987 “Our Common Future“, which formulated the concept of sustainable development. Debates intensified further in 1992 with the “Agenda 21“, the closing document of the Rio Conference for Environment and Development. The following will show both that the diffuse idea of sustainability can be operationalized with the technology assessment concept and – as has recently taken place at the TU Clausthal – that technology assessment should be established in research and teaching at the university level.

Exploring the Futures of the Ummah

This article is both a critique of ways of approaching the future and a presentation of scenarios of the Islamic world a generation ahead. The critique covers various global models, including The Club of Rome's classic Limits to Growth (L TG), 1 Mankind at the Turning Point (MTP), and World 2000, and other approaches to the understanding of the future. Drawing from poststructural theory, we ask: What is missing, who does the analysis privilege, and what epistemological frames or ways of knowing are accentuated, are made primary, by the models used? What can the Islamic world learn from these models? We attempt to go a step further than merely asking the Marxist class question of who benefits financially. For us, the issue is deeper. We are concerned with what knowledge frames and (more appropriately, from an Islamic per­spective) what civilizational frames are privileged, are considered more important. An appendix presents recommendations focused on making the Islamic urrunah more future oriented. However, global models are only one way of approaching or under­standing the future. There are other ways of approaching the study of the future from which can be derived specific assertions about issues, trends, and scenarios as to the likely and possible shape of the future. We also inquire into the utility of these models for better understanding the future of the Islamic ummah. We conclude with visions of the future of the ummah ...