Economists (and others) who are satisfied with nature-free equations develop a dangerous hubris about the potency of our species
Garrett HardinRead
A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal zero.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the limits of our planet in supporting human life and the necessity for population stabilization.
Garrett Hardin's quote highlights the fundamental relationship between the earth's resources and human population growth. It suggests that because the planet has finite resources, unchecked population growth is unsustainable and must ultimately halt to maintain ecological balance. This call for a zero-growth strategy reflects a critical perspective on environmental sustainability and the limitations of natural resources.
Themes
PopulationSustainabilityResourcesGrowthEcology
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing climate change, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of population control.
More from Garrett Hardin
All quotes βMoreover, the practical recommendations deduced from ecological principles threaten the vested interests of commerce; it is hardly surprising that the financial and political power created by these investments should be used sometimes to suppress environmental impact studies.
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A technical solution may be defined as one that requires a change only in the techniques of the natural sciences, demanding little or nothing in the way of change in human values or ideas of morality.
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Thou shalt not transgress the carrying capacity
Garrett HardinRead
Indeed, our particular concept of private property, which deters us from exhausting the positive resources of the earth, favors pollution.
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Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born.
Garrett HardinRead
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