The Limits to Growth: from the Book to the Film

The Limits to Growth shocked the world when it appeared in 1972. Translated into 30 languages and millions of copies sold, the book became the first “green” bestseller, leading to the creation of environmental activist movements and setting sustainability in the center of international political debate. The book originally derived from a report commissioned by the Club of Rome and carried out by a team of researchers from the Massachussets Institute of Technology. Through the use of complex mathematical models and computer data processing, the study projected 12 scenarios for the future, suggesting the idea that mankind would have to adapt to the planet’s physical limits to avert decline or total collapse. Some 40 years of debate later, in 2012 the authors met again to relaunch their message. And their predictions come fairly close to the current international crisis. The saga of The Limits to Growth is told in Ultima chiamata, a work-in-progress film by Enrico Cerasuolo. The project is described in an advance presentation.

Friday 1st June, 3 p.m., Blah Blah

Guests

Luca Mercalli is president of the Italian Meteorological Society, a non-profit association.

Massimo Arvat is vicepresident of Zenit Arti Audiovisive.

Modertator 

Gaetano Capizzi is the founder and director of CinemAmbiente.