Albert A. Bartlett is an emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA. Professor Bartlett has lectured over 1,500 times on Arithmetic, Population, and Energy. Bartlett is a modern-day Malthusian.

Professor Bartlett often explains how sustainable growth is an oxymoron. His bleak view is based on the fact that a modest percentage growth can equate to huge escalations over short periods of time. He has famously stated that "The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function."

He regards overpopulation as The Greatest Challenge facing humanity, and promotes sustainable living. Bartlett opposes the cornucopian school of thought (as advocated by people such as Julian Lincoln Simon), and refers to it as The New Flat Earth Society.

J. B. Calvert (1999) has proposed that Bartlett's Law, will result in the exhaustion of petrochemical resources due to the exponential growth of the world population (as per the Malthusian Growth Model).

Books

• ^* The Essential Exponential For the Future of Our Planet a collection of essays by Professor Bartlett (2004). Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. ISBN 0-9758973-0-6

See also

• Exponential growth
• Thomas Robert Malthus - the originator of the Malthusian catastrophe argument

References

• Professor talks at an exponential rate Energy Bulletin article by Todd Noff.

External links

• Albert A. Bartlett's homepage
• biography
• "Arithmetic, Population, and Energy" by Professor Albert Bartlett Free audio and video 57 minute lecture
• "Arithmetic, Population, and Energy" by Professor Albert Bartlett Text of lecture (extracts)
• Is There a Population Problem? Ecofuture website
• The Massive Movement to Marginalise the Modern Malthusian Message article by Professor Albert Bartlett
• Thoughts on Long-term Energy Supplies - Scientists and the Silent Lie article on energy and population in Physics Today (2004)

American academics | Population | Sustainability advocates | living people | Peak oil