Paul Ehrlich, often called alarmist for dire warnings about human harms to the Earth, believed scientists had a responsibility to speak out

Paul R. Ehrlich will be remembered as a scientist whose books about population and threats to the environment shaped the idea of limited growth in the modern era.

By: William J. (Bill) Kovarik, Radford University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 16, 2026

Words: 1,562

Last Updated: 4 months, 2 weeks ago

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By William J. (Bill) Kovarik, Radford University

Stanford University biologist Paul Ehrlich, who died March 13, 2026, in Palo Alto, California, was a scientific crusader whose dire predictions about population growth, world hunger and environmental collapse made headlines and sparked controversy for decades.

Sometimes called a “prophet of doom” by his detractors, Ehrlich was among the most public figures of the environmental movement. He was admired and often honored for his …

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