Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Oil giant, developer George Mitchell dies at 94

chron.com

Not exactly news since the story was on July 26th.

There's a memorial service about this time as I write this.  It is being held in his hometown of Galveston.  I was in Galveston today.  If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have known.

Mitchell was quite important in these parts.  A few things I didn't know:

  • He was a pioneer of "fracking", which is helping the US reach energy independence
  • He was born in Galveston.  He helped revitalize the city.  He brought back Mardi Gras, a tradition that had faded after World War II
  • He sponsored Dennis Meadows' work, which is connected to the Club of Rome.  He contributed greatly to the concept of sustainable development.

Not that I was completely unfamiliar with the man.  I recognize his picture, of course.

The Club of Rome and Limits to Growth occurred at about the same time that the economic clout of the USA peaked.  A mere coincidence?

Certainly, Mitchell was a giant in his field and a very powerful man.  But the connections to Limits to Growth was not one of his better ideas.


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