Paul Ehrlich

By 1985 there will be an utter breakdown of the planet's capacity to support humanity (Ehrlich's stated meaning of "the end").

“Sometime in the next 15 years, the end will come”

Said on

1 January 1970 · Told to CBS News in 1970 (exact date unknown; Jan 1 used). He added: "And by 'the end' I mean an utter breakdown of the capacity of the planet to support humanity."

Source

The Book That Incited a Worldwide Fear of Overpopulation · Smithsonian Magazine

Should come true

1985

How sure they sounded

will come (certain)

Categories

ClimateHealth

Importance

5 of 5 · Predicts collapse of the planet's ability to support humanity.

Outcome

Inaccurate

By 1985 there was no breakdown of the planet's capacity to support humanity: world population kept growing, per-person calorie supply rose, and the global death rate fell.

Evidence:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/book-incited-worldwide-fear-overpopulation-180967499/