Population Connection’s statement on Paul Ehrlich’s passing

We are saddened by the passing of Population Connection’s co-founder, Paul R. Ehrlich, on March 13 at the age of 93.

A highly published and decorated biologist and ecologist, as well as a passionate environmentalist, Dr. Ehrlich played a major role in the launch of the population movement. With his wife, Anne, he wrote the controversial best-seller The Population Bomb, published in 1968, which warned that humanity was headed for mass starvation due to rapid population growth outstripping food supplies. That same year, together with Richard Bowers and Charles Remington, he founded Zero Population Growth, or ZPG, which later became Population Connection.

Dr. Ehrlich was incredibly intelligent and forward thinking. He had an impressive grasp on today’s many interconnected socio-environmental crises. His sharp wit and charisma made him a very effective speaker, and we are grateful for his enormous contribution to the environmental movement.

In the course of his lengthy career, Ehrlich addressed coercion charges by arguing that his 1968 warnings were intended to prevent horrific outcomes. The Population Bomb openly discussed actions that might take place to avert massive famine. Dr. Ehrlich argued that by acting voluntarily and early (through family planning and reduced consumption), society could avoid harsh realities that nature would eventually impose. He viewed the “carbon bomb” as a global triage situation in the making, where the Earth’s natural systems, including clean air and a stable climate, are the ventilators that are currently being overtaxed.

Dr. Ehrlich drew critics for his pessimistic predictions, but he was always quick to point out that while the book’s assumptions about agriculture ended up being wrong due to the unforeseeable boost in crop yields from the Green Revolution, it helped raise awareness of many critical yet neglected issues, which are arguably even more relevant today. These include the potential for famines, pandemics, water shortages, climate disasters, conflict over resources, and nuclear war, as well as the need to tackle overconsumption in rich countries.

We extend our condolences to Paul’s wife, Anne, and to his daughter, Lisa Marie.