In the World Almanac of the mid-70s, I remember a statement from the EPA noting that the world's supply of oil would be gone by 1981. The sky is always falling, and it will continue to fall for the rest of human history.
Yeah, but warnings, however misguided, also serve a purpose. They spur innovation and ways to prove the doomsayers wrong. I think 'we're doooooooooomed!' does have a part to play in the ecology of opinions.