“Axiom: The highest level of productivity was reached around the 1930s, and since then with each industrial revolution has declined.”
productivity
[proh-duhk-tiv-i-tee, prod-uhk‐]
noun
1.
the quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance,or bring forth goods and services:
The productivity of the group’s effort surprised everyone.
2.
Economics. the rate at which goods and services having exchangevalue are brought forth or produced :
Productivity increased dramatically last year.
Obviously the author has changed the definition of productivity, for just as obvious we are producing a lot more with less effort that we were in the 1930s.
For example in 1930 the total population: 122,775,046; farm population: 30,455,350; farmers 21% of labor force; Number of farms: 6,295,000; average acres: 157; irrigated acres: 14,633,252.
1970 the total population: 204,335,000; farm population: 9,712,000; farmers 4.6% of labor force; Number of farms: 2.780, 000; average acres: 390.
1980 the population: 227,020,000; farm population: 6,051,000; farmers 3.4% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,439,510; average acres: 426; irrigated acres: 50,350,000 (1978).
1990
Total population: 261,423,000; farm population: 2,987,552; farmers 2.6% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,143,150; average acres: 461; irrigated acres: 49,404,000 (1992).
In 2016 the farmers are 2.6% of labor force. The point being, the productivity of American farmers has not decreased since the 1930s, in fact the opposite has occurred. This increase in productivity is true in all other aspects of production as man power has been replaced with machine power. They have been touting “Peak Oil” since 1956, Hubbert’s original prediction that US peak oil would be in about 1970 seemed accurate for a time, as US average annual production peaked in 1970 at 9.6 million barrels per day. However, new oil reserves that have been found, which have continue to forestall a peak oil, and then along came fracking.
And then there is the question of Abiogenic petroleum origin.