--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To date, there has been no serious…" description: "\"To date, there has been no serious attempt in Western countries to use laws to control excessive population growth, although there exists ample authori..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/john-holdren-23470_authority_to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attemp_1917436.jpg" --- # To date, there has been no serious attempt in Western… ![“To date, there has been no serious attempt in Western countries to use laws to control excessive population growth, although there exists ample authority under which population growth could be regulated.” quote by John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/john-holdren-23470_authority_to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attemp_1917436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/john-holdren-23470_authority_to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attemp_1917436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/john-holdren-23470_authority_to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attemp_1917436.jpg) > “To date, there has been no serious attempt in Western countries to use laws to control excessive population growth, although there exists ample authority under which population growth could be regulated.” [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes the lack of significant efforts in Western nations to legislate population control, despite existing authority to do so. **In simple terms:** Western countries haven't tried to limit population growth legally. Key Takeaway Consider policy options for population issues. Themes policy population governance Mood analytical concerned Type political academic When to use this quote - public health - legislation - international law Key Concepts demographic trends environmental impact Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent such legislation? - How can societies balance rights and sustainability? A Different Perspective Political, ethical concerns can hinder implementation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Population growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population-growth/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) ## Related quotes > [Excessive (population) growth may reduce output per worker, repress levels of living for the masses and engender strife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/excessive-population-growth-may-reduce-output-per-worker-repress/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“When we're able to put most of our energy into developing our natural talents, extraordinary room for growth exists. So, a revision to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rath/when-we-re-able-to-put-most-of-our-energy-into-developing-our-natural-2/) [Tom Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rath/) > [Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/laws-control-the-lesser-man-right-conduct-controls-the-greater-one/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Laws can't control the lawless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/laws-can-t-control-the-lawless/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [It is one thing for the human mind to extract from the phenomena of nature the laws which it has itself put into them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/it-is-one-thing-for-the-human-mind-to-extract-from-the-phenomena-of/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [“Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/laws-control-the-lesser-man-right-conduct-controls-the-greater/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There exists ample authority under which population growth could be regulated...It has been concluded that compulsory population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/there-exists-ample-authority-under-which-population-growth-could-be/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [As an observer, you can clearly see that Western countries are war-weary and don't want to be pulled into new conflicts. They always proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-lauder/as-an-observer-you-can-clearly-see-that-western-countries-are-war/) [Ronald Lauder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-lauder/) > [Western countries are thoroughly accustomed to being the centre of global attention, which they have come to regard as their natural birthright. Not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/western-countries-are-thoroughly-accustomed-to-being-the-centre-of/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Islamophobia emerged from the Western countries, and this is a challenge that we all together need to surmount.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/islamophobia-emerged-from-the-western-countries-and-this-is-a/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [Both sides are divided and Western countries collaborate with Muslim countries and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/both-sides-are-divided-and-western-countries-collaborate-with-muslim/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [It is good that the Canadians are raising the flag among Western countries to raise the issue of human rights abuse throughout the Middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-khashoggi/it-is-good-that-the-canadians-are-raising-the-flag-among-western/) [Jamal Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-khashoggi/) > [Western countries have gone through their development cycle and enjoyed the fruits of ruining the environment over many years and are now giving us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piyush-goyal/western-countries-have-gone-through-their-development-cycle-and/) [Piyush Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piyush-goyal/) > [In western countries, there are roles written for older actors. Films are made on them, including love stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/in-western-countries-there-are-roles-written-for-older-actors-films/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [“Vast populations in parasitic hot zones are without hospitals, doctors, drugs, or surgical equipment. Meanwhile, often directed at the very same underserved regions, wealthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-mcauliffe/vast-populations-in-parasitic-hot-zones-are-without-hospitals-doctors/) [Kathleen McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-mcauliffe/) ## More by John Holdren > [Issues of energy, climate change, nuclear arms control and non-proliferation are all big deals. These are problems that we have to get right globally,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/issues-of-energy-climate-change-nuclear-arms-control-and-non/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [People are seeing the impact of climate change around them in extraordinary patterns of floods and droughts, wildfires, heatwaves and powerful storms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/people-are-seeing-the-impact-of-climate-change-around-them-in/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [Any objective look at what science has to say about climate change ought to be sufficient to persuade reasonable people that the climate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/any-objective-look-at-what-science-has-to-say-about-climate-change/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [Reliable and affordable energy is essential for meeting basic human needs and fueling economic growth, but many of the most difficult and dangerous environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/reliable-and-affordable-energy-is-essential-for-meeting-basic-human/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [Wildfires are a result of temperature conditions, of soil moisture conditions; and, of course, something has to start it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/wildfires-are-a-result-of-temperature-conditions-of-soil-moisture/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [The whole climate is changing: the winds, the ocean currents, the storm patterns, snow packs, snowmelt, flooding, droughts. Temperature is just a bit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/the-whole-climate-is-changing-the-winds-the-ocean-currents-the-storm/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [In today’s world, however, the number of children in a family is a matter of profound public concern. The law regulates other highly personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/in-today-s-world-however-the-number-of-children-in-a-family-is-a/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [I don't like the term 'global warming,' because it's misleading. It implies something that's mainly about temperature, that's gradual, and that's uniform across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/i-don-t-like-the-term-global-warming-because-it-s-misleading-it/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [The need for de-development presents our economists with a major challenge. They must design a stable, low-consumption economy in which there is a much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/the-need-for-de-development-presents-our-economists-with-a-major/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [A program of sterilizing women after their second or third child, despite the relatively greater difficulty of the operation than vasectomy, might be easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/a-program-of-sterilizing-women-after-their-second-or-third-child/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [There exists ample authority under which population growth could be regulated...It has been concluded that compulsory population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/there-exists-ample-authority-under-which-population-growth-could-be/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [We are not, of course, optimistic about our chances of success. Some form of ecocatastrophe, if not thermonuclear war, seems almost certain to overtake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/we-are-not-of-course-optimistic-about-our-chances-of-success-some/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [ A massive campaign must be launched to de-develop the United States… \[we\] must design a stable, low-consumption economy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/a-massive-campaign-must-be-launched-to-de-develop-the-united-states-2/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [A massive campaign must be launched to restore a high-quality environment in North America and to de-develop the United States...De-development means bringing our economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/a-massive-campaign-must-be-launched-to-restore-a-high-quality/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [The e-mails are mainly about a controversy over a particular data set and the ways a particular small group of scientists have displayed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/the-e-mails-are-mainly-about-a-controversy-over-a-particular-data-set/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) [Explore all 26 John Holdren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) [Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To date, there has been no serious attempt in Western countries to use laws to control excessive population growth, although there exists ample authority under which population growth could be regulated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Holdren" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attempt-in-western-countries-to-use/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authority" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attempt-in-western-countries-to-use/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/john-holdren-23470_authority_to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attemp_1917436.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/john-holdren-23470_authority_to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attemp_1917436.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/john-holdren-23470_authority_to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attemp_1917436.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To date, there has been no serious attempt in Western countries to use laws to control excessive population…” — John Holdren", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Holdren", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To date, there has been no...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attempt-in-western-countries-to-use/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/to-date-there-has-been-no-serious-attempt-in-western-countries-to-use/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```