"Succeeding generations are going to curse us for burning their future raw materials, and they are right. Not only are we using up valuable resources--petroleum and coal--but we are adding pollution and carbon dioxide which may be contributing to global warming."(1)
As with the ancient civilizations, exploitation of the most important resources is beginning to produce profound effects on environmental conditions familiar to modern man. Similar to the Anasazi of the American Southwest, modern humans have used every means at their disposal to promote higher agricultural yields, which have promoted excessive population growth. Expanding populations demand higher yields, in turn spurring explosive population levels, and the vicious cycle simply repeats itself until the environment collapses under the strain; or, conditions force relocation of the burden, as ancients often did. (2)
The impetus for modern intensification of agriculture has been chemistry. The development and consistent improvement of pesticides and herbicides has nearly negated the biological barriers limiting crop yields, which in turn, has allowed populations to grow to levels never before witnessed in the history of the earth, (3) likely by any species. Unfortunately, even modern chemistry has been able to discover the means to break the food-population cycle faced by ancient civilizations. Humanity is facing the same decisions; change to practices that are less environmentally destructive, relocate, or succumb to extinction.
Successive generations will probably not curse 20th century man for the depletion of resources, which we currently perceive as the most valuable. If humans persist another five thousand years, they will likely have become dependent upon what they perceive to be the most valuable resource of their time. Our descendants will likely wonder at our civilization, as we do with the Anasazi; hopefully, by then, they will have discovered that conservation of energy is more than just an empirical law; it is a Natural Law, governing all of life on earth.
- Breslow, Ronald. Speech. American Chemical Society Sustainability through Science Symposium. 2001.
- Larson, Daniel O. et al. Population Growth, Agricultural Intensification, and Culture Change among the Virgin Branch Anasazi. Journal of Field Archaeology 1996; 23-1: 55-76
- Conko, Gregory, and Smith Jr, Fred. Escaping the Malthusian Trap. Competitive Enterprise Instistute. [article online] 1999. Available from http://cei.org/gencon/019,03109.cfm. Accessed 2009 Nov 7
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