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| We’re Doomed Again |
| 2004-05-20 |
| Via Country Store EFL. Paul Ehrlich has never been right. Why does anyone still listen to him? Because they’re stupid? Environmentalist Paul Ehrlich has proved himself to be a stupendously bad prophet. In 1968 he declared: "The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s, the world will undergo famines--hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death." They didn’t. Indeed, a "green revolution" nearly tripled the world’s food supply. In 1975, he predicted that, by the mid-1980s, "mankind will enter a genuine age of scarcity," in which "accessible supplies of many key minerals will be facing depletion." Far from it. Between 1975 and 2000 the World Bank’s commodity price index for minerals and metals fell by nearly 50%. In other words, we abound in "key minerals." Naturally, Mr. Ehrlich has won a MacArthur Foundation genius award--and a Heinz Award for the environment. (Yes, that Heinz: Teresa Heinz Kerry is chairman of the award’s sponsoring philanthropy.) Surprise, surprise (NOT) So why pay him any notice? Because he is a reverse Cassandra. In "The Iliad," the prophetess Cassandra makes true predictions and no one believes her; Mr. Ehrlich makes false predictions and they are widely believed. The gloomier he is and the faultier he proves to be as a prophet, the more honored he becomes, even in his own country. At least among the glitterati - the rest of us have more sense. Read the rest. If Erlich’s predicting doom, I’m more optimistic for the world’s future than ever. |
| Posted by:Barbara Skolaut |
| #2 I've had a few dealings with Ehrlich (and his wife) over the years. They are ideologues and very arrogant...also wrong on almost everything they've ever predicted...but he was great on Johnny Carson (where his reputation was built) |
| Posted by: Anonymous4955 2004-05-20 7:03:49 PM |
| #1 As the article points out we do have enviormental problems facing us. But they are not the ones that people like Erlich fear. |
| Posted by: cheaderhead 2004-05-20 4:38:15 PM |