TAPPI President Speech at 1991 APPITA Meeting, 1992 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Ever since man became conscious of the finite dimensions of planet earth, he has worried about his ability to survive in an ever-more crowded environment. The fundamental question underlying this concern is "sustainability" -- can we supply, maintain, and prolong that which we have indefinitely. This question is, of course, multifaceted. Today I want to address several facets that I think will be of interest to you, and which are certainly impacting on the lives of all of us. These include two interesting and opposing technoeconomic philosophies, the actual and perceived environmental risks of man’s actions, and the impact of human population on the environment, with particular emphasis on anthropogenic production of carbon dioxide. In addition, I will discuss a number of palliative measures that can and are being taken, and Roger Sedjo will discuss others. Finally. I will discuss some reasons for optimism and for my belief that indeed our world is sustainable.

Man’s early concerns quickly polarized the scientists and economists of this world into two philosophical camps -the Malthusians and the Cornucopians. The Malthusians (who are philosophical disciples of the Rev. Thomas Malthus dating from the eighteenth century) believe that the world is going to run out of food, starvation is going to overwhelm us, and that this would be preceded by a decline in living standard, all because of the population explosion.