Expert: Walter Hintz - 8/7/2006

Question
Paul Ehrlich has said, "It is quite possible that the penalty for frantic attempts to feed burgeoning populations may be a lowering of the carrying capacity of the entire planet."

Ecologist Lee Talbot has said, "We haven't inherited the Earth from our parents. We've borrowed it from our children."

What does each of these statements mean?

Thank You

Answer
Ehrlich believes that there is a limited amount of energy available and if the population increases beyond a certain amount there will be not enough food for everybody

Talbot believes that our children will pay for the pressures we put upon the environment.