Malthusianism turning official

Britain’s Royal Society – its premier scientific organisation – yesterday (World Population Day) launched a major study on the effects of human population growth. This is likely to be an important step in the endorsement of a more openly Malthusian outlook in official policy circles.

The working group includes several experts with openly Malthusian sympathies such as Sir David Attenborough, Sir Partha Dasgupta and Jonathon Porritt. I am prepared to bet a sizeable sum that when the report is published in 2012 it will conclude that population growth is a key problem facing humanity.

For a critical article on the project see Dominic Lawson’s piece in today’s Independent. Among other things he points out that Thomas Malthus was a member of the Royal Society.

[Hat tip Fiona Flynn]