Paul Ehrlich on why humans rule
“We tried to put between the covers of one book, how we evolved, how we got to be a brilliant, dominant animal, changing the land surface of the planet, changing the atmosphere, changing the oceans. And in the process, starting to saw off the limb that we’re sitting on.” – Paul Ehrlich
Paul Ehrlich is a biologist at Stanford University. Ehrlich was perhaps best known for his 1960’s classic called The Population Bomb. He was one of the first to speak out about the need to maintain a balance between Earth’s human population and our use of natural resources. EarthSky’s Jorge Salazar interviewed Paul Ehrlich on the science behind how humans came to dominate planet Earth.
Paul Ehrlich’s recent book is called The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment.
Dear Paul Ehrlich,
The road ahead will not be an easy one, I suppose, precisely because the colossal mistakes our not-so-great generation of elders are making now simply cannot be repeated by the children. Thankfully, new leaders are emerging. Some have called this phenomenon the appearance of “transformational” leadership. That is also what I am observing.
The unrestricted consolidation of filthy lucre and political/military power, the unbridled expansion of economic globalization, the unrestrained per-capita overconsumption of limited resources and unchecked human overpopulation on the relatively small, evidently finite and noticeably frangible planetary home God blesses us to inhabit, could soon become unsustainable. Perhaps the humane, reasonable, sensible and wise regulation of these activities will make make it possible for the family of humanity to build a patently sustainable, distinctly human world order, one that adequately enough models key biological systems and physical structures of Earth.
New leaders with new ideas are coming forward. A new day is dawning. My hope is for members of our generation to become helpfully engaged by openly acknowledging and effectively addressing the challenges presented to humankind rather than by perversely mounting a “rear-guard action” in denial of looming, human-driven threats to human wellbeing and environmental health.
Paul, thanks for the great work you have done over a long career.
Sincerely,
Steve
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on the Human Population,
established 2001
Huzzah! Huzzah!
The accolades of Steven “The Sock Puppet” Salmony ring loudly for all blowhard academics who accomplish nothing but book sales to other impotent and tenured souls.
Behold a chimera on the far horizon, a paint horse upon which imperious and ignoble GREED rides. This horse and its pin-striped rider are an unexpected front runner, a Fifth Horseman of the Acopalypse. The “Four Horsemen” in tandem are following close behind.
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on the Human Population,
established 2001
http://sustainabilityscience.org/content.html?contentid=1176
See the “Horsemen of the Apocalypse” ride during “blitz” of Wal Mart in Valley Stream, NY.
“Blitz” lines are a sign of the times. These ‘lines’ are designed to evince rampaging greed. How many other ploys can you think of that surreptitiously exploit human avarice?
Here and now we behold the chimera, the “paint horse and its pin-striped-suited rider, named GREED” being followed closely by a pale horse ridden by Death.
Thanks to Steven, captain of the ovary and testicle police, for this delightfully grim tale!
P.S. Atheists aren’t allowed to borrow Biblical themes….
Thanks to Steven, captain of the ovary and testicle police, for this delightfully grim tale!
P.S. Atheists aren’t allowed to borrow Biblical themes…..
I can hear pencil scratches towards the end of that recording
very insightful however
Why humans rule because of military power and human intelligence. That’s why we humans rule.