Julian Simon -- The Ultimate Resource II

Freedom Home Page of the Week

Freedom Home Page of the Week
Julian Simon's Ultimate Resource II was selected as Freedom Home Page of the Week for February 16, 1998. It was recognized and reviewed on http://www.free-market.net/ and http://www.free-market.net/sotw/.

Julian Simon's Writings page was Freedom Home Page of the Week in July 1997.

The following commentary is taken from Freedom Home Page of the Week:

February 16
"The Ultimate Resource II" by Julian Simon

On February 8, Julian L. Simon passed away.

He had spent much of his life arguing against the population-control doomsters who think there are too many people on this planet. His most famous argument was laid out in his 1981 book "The Ultimate Resource," which was updated in 1996 as "The Ultimate Resource II." The entire text of this new edition is available here online.

In it, Simon gives extensive evidence that, contrary to environmentalist predictions, "length of life and health are increasing, supplies of food and other natural resources are becoming ever more abundant, and pollutants in our environment are lessening." He shows that "the world's problem is not too many people, but lack of political and economic freedom."

Simon proved that "the ultimate resource is people -- skilled, spirited, and hopeful people." He could have used himself as a prime example. We are all much poorer for the loss.

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