Did you hear? The end of the world is coming!
Paul Ehrlich, author and bestseller of “The Population Bomb”, was featured on “60 Minutes” recently. He said, “Humanity cannot sustain.”
Why would “60 Minutes” interview Ehrlich?
Ehrlich claimed for years that “we are very close to a food shortage” and that “in the next 15 years, it will end.” But he’s proven wrong time and again.
Yet, “60 Minutes” takes him seriously. Scott Pelley, a reporter, said that Paul Ehrlich might have lived long enough for some of his dire predictions to come true. Now, 60 Minutes reports that “scientists” say the earth is facing a “mass extermination”.
Doom is a popular choice.
Ehrlich’s book sold a staggering 3 million copies. Ehrlich claimed that the Earth’s growing population would cause worldwide famine.
It was the opposite.
The world’s population more than doubled. But today there is (SET ITAL)less(END ITAL) famine!
Although “60 Minutes” mentioned Ehrlich’s error about widespread starvation being common, they ignored many of his other foolish predictions. One was that England would not exist by 2000 (due to climate change).
Ehrlich won’t speak to me right now, but seven years ago, Ehrlich answered my producer about his absurdity. Ehrlich stated that “When you try to predict the future, it is impossible to get things right.”
The media should ignore doomsayers like Ehrlich, and pay more attention to people like Marian Tupy, editor of HumanProgress.org.
Tupy, in my latest video, points out that “life’s getting better.” Modern times have brought longer lives and the lowest levels of poverty.
Universities, media, and politicians all believe capitalism is destroying the Earth, so young people pour soup on famous paintings. Because we are facing an apocalypse, it’s morally right to believe that.
Tupy says that if you sell the apocalypse, people feel you are caring. But, “if you’re selling rational optimism, it makes you seem uncaring.”
Uncaring? They are the ones who hate people. Ehrlich even suggested the idea of sterilizing people and having the government poison our food to reduce population growth.
Tupy says that Ehrlich views human beings as creators rather than destroyers. Their population explodes when they eat all the grass around them, and then it will collapse. Human beings are fundamentally unique. We are capable of innovating.”
It is counterintuitive to believe that humans can do good for the environment. Tupy says, “We use stuff.”
He responds, “We use the stuff but we also grow stuff.” New knowledge is what matters. Consider something as simple and straightforward as sand. We used the first glass to make glass beads when we began melting down the sand. We now make microchips.
Similar innovations in agriculture, transport, and genetic engineering are why our growing population isn’t destroying nature.
Tupy highlights that forests have increased by 35% in North America over the past 20 years in Western Europe and North America.
Because of their innovative nature, humans have found new ways to produce more food with less land. A country that is financially secure can also afford to preserve nature.
However, the idea of human innovation helping nature is not as popular as that of humans destroying it.
Many young people believe they are being misled and don’t want children.
That would be a huge problem for the entire world. The threat of climate change is more pronounced today because there are fewer women having children. We need young people not only to care for the increasing number of elderly people but also to invent solutions to the planet’s problems.
Children are more likely to be able to cure cancer or create a carbon-eating machine.
But, just having more people does not guarantee the innovation we seek.
Tupy says, “Certainly not.” Tupy says that if the number of people was all that was important, China would have been one of the most prosperous countries for centuries. You need people and freedom. You can create more value for everyone if you allow human beings to be free.
