Paul Ehrlich

By 1980, at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death worldwide.

“The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years.”

Said on

1 April 1970 · Interview with Peter Collier in Mademoiselle, April 1970 (day unknown; first of month used), as quoted by Ronald Bailey in Reason.

Source

Earth Day, Then and Now · Reason

Should come true

1980

How sure they sounded

will (stated as certain)

Categories

Health

Importance

5 of 5 · Famine deaths of 100-200 million a year would be a civilization-scale catastrophe.

Outcome

Inaccurate

No famine deaths on anything like 100-200 million a year happened in the 1970s. Recorded famine deaths for the whole decade were in the low millions (e.g. Bangladesh 1974, Cambodia), and world food supply per person rose.

Evidence:

• https://ourworldindata.org/famines
• https://reason.com/2000/05/01/earth-day-then-and-now-2/