The tragedy of the commons that is currently unfolding in the worlds oceans is not a trend that can be re-interpreted by re-draughting lines on graphs. The plight of real species such as yellowfin and bluefin tuna attest to the destuctive application of human technology on the natural world. The deployment of highly efficient resource extraction to the oceans is a prime example of human ingenuity and at the same time attests to the ignorance of mankind to the nature of the world we live in and the inability of the free market to protect the natural world from the predations of capitalism.

Goklany looks only at the small picture…. He lacks any vision as to the broader balances that are disturbed by the explosive burst in human activity of the last 250 years. 12000 years ago, 1,000,000 people lived on this planet. That many had already had an environmental impact and were in the process of wiping out the mega fauna in all continents with the exception of Africa.

With the advent of agriculture, humanity exploded in numbers. with a 70,000% increase on their original numbers over the next 11700 years until the advent of the industrial revolution. In context, the population explosion between the birth of Christ and entry into the industrial revolution (1750 years) is about 400%. The population explosion since the advent of the industrial revolution is over 800% (in 260 years).

Indur Goklany is trying to say that this has no down side. We can go on increasing without any problems? Bull.