Scientists say planet in midst of sixth mass extinction (CBS 60 Minutes, interview by Scott Pelley)

Paul R. Ehrlich · 1 Jan 2023

Paul R. Ehrlich did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Wildlife collapses from too many people, too much consumption and growth mania

Their wordsToo many people, too much consumption and growth mania.
Our reading
Humanity is not sustainable: our lifestyle for everyone would need five more Earths

Their wordsOh, humanity is not sustainable. To maintain our lifestyle (yours and mine, basically) for the entire planet, you'd need five more Earths.
Our reading
Humanity is sawing off the limb it sits on

Their wordsHumanity is very busily sitting on a limb that we're sawing off.
Our reading
Still alarmed, as in 1968

Their wordsI was alarmed. I am still alarmed. All of my colleagues are alarmed.
Our reading
The extinction rate is extraordinarily high and rising

Their wordsThe rate of extinction is extraordinarily high now and getting higher all the time.
Our reading
The next few decades will likely end civilization as we know it

Their wordsI know there's no political will to do any of the things that I'm concerned with, which is exactly why I and the vast majority of my colleagues think we've had it; that the next few decades will be the end of the kind of civilization we're used to.

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