  In a recent study (Garrett, 2011), I described theoretical arguments and
empirical evidence showing how civilization evolution might be considered from
a purely physical basis. One implication is that civilization exhibits the
property of persistence in its growth. Here, this argument is elaborated
further, and specific near-term forecasts are provided for key economic
variables and anthropogenic CO2 emission rates at global scales. Absent some
external shock, civilization wealth, energy consumption and carbon dioxide
emissions will continue to grow exponentially at an average rate of about 2.3%
per year.
