Abstract

The sustained increase in per capita product and the sweeping structural changes that characterize the epoch that Simon Kuznets (1966) defined as Modern Economic Grosth (MEG) were made possible by the substitution of inanimate power for animal power as a source of energy. Malthusian limits to growth were overcome by the pervasive application of science-based technology to production. The paper summarizes the main features of the structural transformation during MEG and the likely evolution of energy requirements considering the transformation in structure that is taking place today in industrial countries, the rapid development of emerging economies, and the implications of an increasingly globalized system. The final section deals with conceptual issues related to Neo-Malthusian apocalyptic predictions.