Paul R. Ehrlich
Also known as Paul Ehrlich, Paul Ralph Ehrlich
American biologist (1932 to 2026) who warned of overpopulation in The Population Bomb.
At a glance
Main ideas
Coevolution, Overpopulation, Overconsumption …
See all 4Criticism
Failed forecasts, The Simon wager, Human rights …
See all 4Books to start with
The Population Bomb, The Population Explosion
See all 2Connections
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Ehrlich was a Stanford biologist who studied butterflies and popularised the term coevolution.
- He became famous for The Population Bomb (1968), written with his wife Anne H.
- Ehrlich, which predicted mass famine in the 1970s.
- Those predictions did not come true, and critics linked the book to coercive population control.
- He held that his central warning about population and consumption was still right.
Why it matters
- He made overpopulation a mass public concern, and his failed forecasts remain the standard cautionary tale about predicting catastrophe.
Key facts
- Born
- 29 May 1932, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania1
- Died
- 13 Mar 2026, Palo Alto, California, aged 93, of complications from cancer1
- Education
- BA in zoology, University of Pennsylvania (1953); MA (1955) and PhD (1957), University of Kansas1
- Stanford
- Faculty from 1959; professor of biology from 1966; Bing Professor of Population Studies from 19771
- Founded
- The Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford, in 19841
- Married
- Anne H. Ehrlich (née Howland), in December 19541
- Awards
- Crafoord Prize (1990); MacArthur Fellowship (1990); Heinz Award with Anne Ehrlich (1995); Tyler Prize (1998); Blue Planet Prize (1999); Fellow of the Royal Society (2012)1
Main ideas
-
Coevolution1
With Peter Raven (1964): insects and the plants they eat drive each other's diversification.
-
Overpopulation1
Human numbers had outgrown the planet, threatening famine, disease and social unrest.
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Overconsumption1
Later he stressed the consumption of rich nations as a major problem.
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Optimum population1
With Anne Ehrlich (1994), estimated an optimal human population of about 1.5 to 2 billion.
Criticism
-
Failed forecasts1
The predicted mass starvation of the 1970s did not happen; food supply grew faster than population.
-
The Simon wager1
He bet economist Julian Simon in 1980 that commodity prices would rise, and lost.
-
Human rights1
Charles C. Mann wrote that the book's predictions fuelled coercive population control and forced sterilisations.
-
Dan Gardner1
Argued he failed to admit errors while claiming credit for predictions he got right.
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
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With Anne H. Ehrlich; his warning of famine from overpopulation.
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The Population Explosion1
With Anne H. Ehrlich; argued the catastrophe had arrived.
Connections
Writes
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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