October 2012 - cipec.org

Introducing the Malthusian Theory of Population

Last updated on January 30th, 2024 at 02:34 pm

Arguably the first economist to concern himself with the problems of growing population was T.R Malthus at the very end of the 18th century. It was actually in 1709 that he published his world famous ’Essay on the Principle of Population’ which came to be knows as the Malthusian Theory. It was the huge increases in population of his home country England that gave birth to this rather disturbing treatise.

His rather concerning statement behind this theory was that there is a constant tendency of all organic life to tend towards the point where it’s noruishment was unsustainable. That is that the human population would keep increasing until it started running out of resources and starving. The mathematics was quite straight forward – population could increase geometrically doubling or trebling it’s numbers. Whereas food production was limited to an arithmetical progression such as 1,2,3,4,5, and 6 for instance.

The stark reality of this was that it was impossible for increases in food production to ever keep pace with any consistent population growths. His rather cheery argument did highlight two ways in which population could be checked

1) Positive checks – Events like war, misery, famine and disease could increase death rate and hence limit population growth.

2) Preventative checks – contraception, political policies restraining number of children and even moral restraints.

Obviously the latter sounds the most appealing and it Malthus who proposed these. The idea is that it’s much more beneficial to reduce birth rates than end up having to increase death rate to cope with population growth which was unsustainable.

It’s interesting that Malthus hasn’t appeared yet in the BBC programme on famous economists – Masters of Money. Although it’s early in the series so I’m still hopeful. You can catch up with this wonderful show on the BBC Iplayer. For anyone outside the UK who would like to watch I’d suggest checking out this helpful Facebook page I found. It shows you how anyone can access Iplayer abroad – http://www.iplayerabroad.com/ – simply by using a UK based server to provide you with a UK IP address.

Go Green – Green Energy Tips You Should Know About!

Last updated on December 22nd, 2019 at 08:23 pm

A lot of people are concerned about the environment, but don’t have a good idea of what they can do to help. Interestingly, a thing like this is actually friendly energy industry has been emerging to serve customers who are interested in making a difference. This article provides many tips so you can live a green lifestyle. Green energy is great to have in any home and can save you a lot on electrical bills that can seem to add up over months. Another great thing about investing into green technology is that you can use it as a tax write off which can help you get more back come tax season. One key energy-saving tip that all homeowners would be wise to implement is to insulate your water heater tanks. A great deal of heat can be lost if a tank is not well insulated, resulting in higher-energy consumption Makes sure you wrap your tank to help keep your water warm. Purchasing green energy is something that many people do not even think about. However, purchasing green energy not only helps promote the security of energy in the future, but it also helps reduce pollution. Purchase green energy in an effort to modernize your home and your way of thinking when it comes to energy efficiency.

The Værktøj energy solution you choose should depend on the kind of area you live in. If you live in a rural area or near the ocean, wind power will probably work best. On the other hand, solar power is your best choice if you live in a hot climate. Get more information about the weather and the strength of the wind in your area before you decide. Take an active part in your local community if you find that green energies are a common concern. You will learn more about alternative energy solutions and get a chance to convince local authorities to adopt green energies or offer tax incentives and other advantages. Know when your appliances need to be replaced. If you have a major appliance, such as a furnace or air conditioner that is over 10 years old, you should replace them with newer, more energy-efficient models. Buying the newer, Energy Star appliances can save you a lot in the years to come. Keep a lot of food in your refrigerator. That may seem odd, but the truth is that refrigerators that have a lot of food and items inside do not warm as quickly as less-stocked refrigerators. That means that refrigerators full of food use less energy, which is definitely a greener way to live.

Recycling is one of the easiest tasks that can make a Værktøj home. Some towns automatically include costs for recycling in their garbage collection, so look into this! If not, certain states including Michigan will pay consumers to return bottles after use. Recycling is one of the best ways to cut energy costs! As this article mentioned before, there are many people who are looking to make a difference in the environment and are seeking to reduce their carbon or environmental footprint. If you have the right information, it’s easy to implement green energy solutions in your life. Use the advice in this article and green living is just around the corner.