Warned of 'Unpredictable climatic effects' -- Called on U.S. to 'de-develop'

A 1972 article about “The Population Bomb” biologist Paul Ehrlich reveals a nascent environmental movement grappling with mass sterilization, climate fears, “international policy planning” and redistribution of wealth. The article reveals dramatic parallels to today’s modern environmental movement.

According to the June 16, 1972 article in the Boca Raton News. The article, part of the Newsweek Feature Service, was written by William J. Cook and was titled “Expert on population pleased by response.”

The article reported: “In 1969, [Ehrlich] said if voluntary birth reduction methods did not work a nation might have to resort to ‘the addition of a temporary sterilant to staple food or to the water supply.’ The proposal brought a charge from one newspaper critic that Ehrlich was ‘worse than Hitler.'” [Climate Depot’s Editor’s Note: Ehrlich has had a few moments of candor in recent times and apparently admitted his lack of basic scientific training. See: An Admission finally! ‘The Population Bomb’s’ Paul Ehrlich: ‘I wish I’d taken more math in high school and college. That would have been useful’ — ‘If he were writing ‘The Population Bomb’ now, he’d be more careful about predictions’ October 8, 2009 & Also see: Relax: Laugh at silly predictions of overpopulation: Climate Depot’s Factsheet on Overpopulation – ‘Is too few people the new ‘population problem?’]

Ehrlich has also been in the news recently about a 1977 book he co-authored with President Obama’s science czar John Holdren titled “Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment.” The book called for a ‘Comprehensive Planetary Regime could control development, distribution of all natural resources.’ Also See: White House Science Adviser Holdren and Ehrlich Advocated ‘De-Development’ of the United States]

The 1972 article continued: “One of his most controversial position currently is that countries like the United States cannot urge underdeveloped nations to forego industrial development in the interest of ecology while it remains a burgeoning economic force. Two years ago, he and his wife wrote ‘Population, Resources, Environment: Issues in Human Ecology.’ In it, they urged the U.S. to ‘de-develop’ and restore its environment to set an example for the emerging countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa.” [Climate Depot’s Editor’s Note: It appears that NASA’s James Hansen is following the same faith based beliefs as Ehrlich: See: Time for Meds? NASA scientist James Hansen endorses book which calls for ‘ridding the world of Industrial Civilization’ – Hansen declares author ‘has it right…the system is the problem’ – Jan. 22, 2010 – Book proposes ‘razing cities to the ground, blowing up dams and switching off the greenhouse gas emissions machine’]

1972 Article Excerpt: “And following President Nixon’s China visit, he and biologist Dennis Pirages deplore the notion that Americans should help the Chinese achieve their present standard of living.

‘An ‘Americanized’ China,’ they wrote, ‘would consume nearly eight billion metric tons of coal equivalent in energy each year, more than the present total world consumption…these numbers mean that raising Chinese energy consumption to the American level would amount to doubling the environment impact of homo sapiens. Indeed, just the concentrated release of heat in parts of China containing most of the population could lead to major, unpredictable climatic effects.’”

The 1972 article also quoted Ehrlich foreshadowing today’s calls for “global governance” to save the Earth: Erlich said: “You can’t sold the world’s environment without biting the bullet, and without facing very, very tough things like the redistribution of wealth, how the world’s trade system operates, the things the United States is doing to the ecology of Vietnam, the activities of the predator nations — the U.S., Western Europe, the Soviet Union – trying to extract high grade resources from underdeveloped countries. If we’re going to save the globe, we’re going to have to have international policy planning.” [End 1972 article excerpts.]

Ehrlich’s scientific work faced even more scrutiny when he lost a high profile bet with economist Julian Simon. (See: Baseless scares about resource scarcity and predictions of famine. Excerpt: The ultimate embarrassment for the Malthusians was when Paul Ehrlich bet Julian Simon $1,000 in 1980 that five resources (of Ehrlich’s choosing) would be more expensive in 10 years. Ehrlich lost: 10 years later every one of the resources had declined in price by an average of 40 percent.)

But despite Ehrlich’s discredited scientific work on population issues and alleged resource scarcity, he still receives awards and honors from the modern environmental movement. See: Paul Ehrlich receives Ramon Margalef Award for lifetime achievements in ecology – Stanford Report, August 7, 2009 – Excerpt: Paul Ehrlich, Stanford professor of population studies, is the 2009 recipient of the Ramon Margalef Award in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, a prize that honors achievements over a lifetime. “Ehrlich is one of the most influential ecologists of our age,” said Harold Mooney, Stanford professor of biology and 2007 Margalef Award recipient. “He’s done an enormous amount of path-breaking work and continues to lead in addressing the major issues of our time.”

Fast forward to 2009, and Ehrich, undaunted by his scientifically mishaps is still promoting fear mongering. See: Paul Ehrlich: Change Human Behavior or Global Civilization is Doomed – Nov. 2, 2009 – Excerpt: “Americans should go childless, or limit themselves to a single offspring, as an act of patriotism,”

Other reports appear to reveal Ehrlich’s contempt for his fellow human beings. Article Excerpt: “And in 1971, during a visit to New Delhi, [Ehrlich] wrote the following: ‘The streets seemed alive with people. People eating, people washing, people sleeping. People visiting, arguing, screaming. People thrusting their hands through the taxi window, begging. People defecating and urinating. People clinging to buses. People herding animals. People, people, people, people. As we moved slowly through the mob, the dust, noise, heat and cooking fires gave the scene a hellish aspect. Would we ever get to our hotel…? Since that night I have known the feel of overpopulation.'”

Ehrlich’s views on the human race now permeate many of today’s global warming and environmental activists. Below is a very small sampling:

NYT columnist Friedman to Taiwan: ‘I’m gonna tell you a secret. There are too many Americans in the world today’

Popular Science: ‘Should right to bear children be more regulated, or is it a fundamental right that we should breed nilly-willy even if it destroys the planet?’ – September 18, 2009

Climate Activist Michael Tobis further steps in it: ‘The idea that she had time to keep up on complex issues and be a good mom is hard to imagine’ [email protected]

Tobis: ‘I think having more than 2 children per family in an overcrowded world is ethically dubious’

‘Giving contraceptives to people in developing countries could help fight climate change by slowing population growth’ – claim ‘experts’

‘Contraception cheapest way to combat climate change’ — 5 times cheaper says London School of Economics

Ehlich’s call for limiting growth and “de-developing” are also staples of today’s global warming and environmental movement. See:

Obama supports limiting development in poverty stricken nations: US to World Bank: Don’t fund coal-fired plants in developing countries due to global warming fears – Jan. 25, 2010

Flashback 2002: U.S. Environmentalist Laments Introduction of Electricity in Africa

Flashback 2002: Jerry Brown says ‘it’s not viable’ for poverty stricken developing world to emulate prosperity of U.S.

Ugandan Activist: ‘African life span is lower than it was in U.S. and Europe 100 years ago. But Africans told we shouldn’t develop’ because wealthy Western nations are ‘worried about global warming’: Excerpt: ‘Telling Africans they can’t have electricity and economic development – is immoral’

Flashback 2003: S. African Activist: Poor countries should just say: ‘Go to hell’ to Wealthy Western Nations: ‘If you don’t want us to fill in our wetlands, then you bomb your big cities like Washington, a third of Holland and Rotterdam and so on, and restore them to being swamps’

Flashback 2002: UN Earth Summit’s Failure Called ‘Good Thing’ For Poor Nations: Excerpt: The first world became rich without the IMFs and World Banks, and the less of them that are around, the more likely the Third World is to do the same.”

Morano warns of ‘a new form of colonialism’: ‘The white wealthy western world is telling 1.6 billion people in developing world — predominantly of color — that they have to have their economies managed, their energy managed all because of climate fears’ Thursday, December 10, 2009 – Excerpt: Morano warns of “a new form of colonialism…The white wealthy western world telling 1.6 billion people in developing world — predominantly of color — that they have to have their economies managed, their energy managed all because of climate fears.” […] “Al Gore is right, it is a moral issue. The morality of this is we need to get energy cheap and affordable to people across the world so they can leave the nasty brutish and short life’ of poverty […] Carbon based energy has been of the greatest liberators of mankind in the history of our planet.”

It is a moral issue! – ‘People cannot cook’…Chad’s Global Warming Inspired Ban on Charcoal leads to ‘Desperate’ Families! – January 16, 2009

Poor Kenyans rebel as UK grocery store’s “carbon friendly” policies may stop food exports

India: ‘It is morally wrong for us to reduce emissions when 40% of Indians do not have access to electricity’

Report: ‘Green, UN, rich nation and African elites impose deadly anti-development colonialism’ – June 8, 2009

Greenpeace Leader: There is urgent need for the suppression of economic growth in U.S…’Lifestyle of the rich in the world is not a sustainable model’ – August 20, 2009

Flashback 2002: Average American Lifestyle Called “Total Bull—t” by Environmentalist – Excerpt: ‘If anyone in a developing country looks to the U.S. and wants a lifestyle like the average American–it’s total bull—t!’

Gore: U.S. Climate Bill Will Help Bring About ‘Global Governance’ – July 10, 2009

Former EU Environment Minister Margot Wallstrom: ‘Kyoto is about the economy, about leveling the playing field for big businesses worldwide’

‘Climate Justice…the underlying principle for global equity’

Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper once dismissed UN’s Kyoto Protocol as a ‘socialist scheme’

Flashback 2000: Actor Chevy Chase Says ‘Socialism Works’ — ‘Cuba might prove that’

Black clergymen protest Robert Redford ‘link his environmentalism to racism’

Obama Advisor Warren Buffett ‘repeats criticism of cap and trade, saying it would be a huge, regressive tax’

Wash. Post’s Moment of Clarity: In Poorer Nations, Energy Needs Trump Climate Issues – September 9, 2009 – Excerpt: Millions of people are eager to buy their first washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioners…dearth of power hinders prosperity. […] Some environmentalists see a chance for Asian and African countries to take the lead in developing renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind power, bypassing Western energy models based largely on coal and oil. But many economic experts here are doubtful that will happen. “The United States and Europe have had the energy they needed to grow and develop,” said William Bissell, a prominent Indian entrepreneur and author of “Making India Work.” “But we haven’t had our 21st century yet.”

Feminist warns green movement threatening gender equality ‘by forcing women to give up their jobs and become earth mothers’ – Feb. 11, 2010

Warns of a ‘holy reactionary alliance’ of green politicians, breast-feeding militants, ‘back to nature” feminists and child psychologists is turning Frenchwomen into slaves to green “fads” like re-usable nappies and organic food…It’s as if we were all female chimpanzees’ — ‘She blasts washable nappies as an extra burden for mothers without thinking for a second that a man could put them in the washing machine’