--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It turns out the population issue is an…" description: "\"It turns out the population issue is an easier thing to deal with than the consumption issue. Some obvious extremes in consumption we can deal with. Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_consumption_it-turns-out-the-population-issue-is-an_531652.jpg" --- # It turns out the population issue is an easier thing to… ![“It turns out the population issue is an easier thing to deal with than the consumption issue. Some obvious extremes in consumption we can deal with. The standard cure for a stuttering economy is to go out and buy an SUV and three more refrigerators. That's obviously not the way to go.” quote by Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_consumption_it-turns-out-the-population-issue-is-an_531652.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_consumption_it-turns-out-the-population-issue-is-an_531652.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_consumption_it-turns-out-the-population-issue-is-an_531652.jpg) > “It turns out the population issue is an easier thing to deal with than the consumption issue. Some obvious extremes in consumption we can deal with. The standard cure for a stuttering economy is to go out and buy an SUV and three more refrigerators. That's obviously not the way to go.” [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ehrlich argues that consumption, not population size, drives ecological strain; solutions must target wasteful consumption patterns rather than merely limiting population growth. **In simple terms:** Overconsumption is the main environmental problem, not just population numbers. Key Takeaway Focus on reducing wasteful consumption and promoting sustainable habits. Themes Environmental sustainability resource management consumer behavior economic policy Mood urgent thoughtful optimistic Type environmental economic behavioral When to use this quote - Household budgeting - energy-efficient technologies - public policy reforms - educational campaigns Key Concepts Ecology economics behavioral science Questions to Reflect On - What incentives can shift consumer behavior? - How can policy support sustainable consumption? A Different Perspective Limitation: Changing consumption habits can be politically and culturally resistant. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/) [Consumption Issue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption-issue-3203062/) [Cure Stuttering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cure-stuttering-4465084/) [Cures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cures/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Obvious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obvious/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Population Issue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population-issue-4173829/) [Refrigerators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refrigerators/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Stuttering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuttering/) [Stuttering Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuttering-economy-4465083/) [Suvs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suvs/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [When the average American consumes 43 times as much as the average African, we've got to think that consumption is an issue. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-w-clay/when-the-average-american-consumes-43-times-as-much-as-the-average/) [Jason W Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-w-clay/) > [The bigger the population gets, the more serious the problems become... We have to address the population issue. The United Nations, with the U.S.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-nelson/the-bigger-the-population-gets-the-more-serious-the-problems-become/) [Gaylord Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-nelson/) > [The commitment of government to deal with the population issue is of course essential…There are many ways to make the death rate increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/the-commitment-of-government-to-deal-with-the-population-issue-is-of/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [Information, if viewed from the point of view of food, is never a production issue. ... It's a consumption issue, and we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-rangaswami/information-if-viewed-from-the-point-of-view-of-food-is-never-a/) [J.P. Rangaswami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-rangaswami/) > [Think of Iraq as "East Korea," because it was a shoot the cuffs war for the edification of Kim Jong Il to let him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/think-of-iraq-as-east-korea-because-it-was-a-shoot-the-cuffs-war-for/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [The chattering bloody classes, or what I call the liberal Guardian readers, they're all buying SUVs to drive around London. I smile at these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/the-chattering-bloody-classes-or-what-i-call-the-liberal-guardian-2/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [The chattering bloody classes, or what I call the liberal Guardian readers, they're all buying SUVs to drive around London. I smile at these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/the-chattering-bloody-classes-or-what-i-call-the-liberal-guardian/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [Drilling in the Refuge is completely unnecessary when we could improve the average fuel economy of cars, minivans and SUV's by just 3 miles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-markey/drilling-in-the-refuge-is-completely-unnecessary-when-we-could/) [Ed Markey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-markey/) > [The message I am trying to get across is exactly this: Protecting the environment does not require us to be against large SUVs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/the-message-i-am-trying-to-get-across-is-exactly-this-protecting-the/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [Every time I was driving on the L.A. freeway in a small car, it was very unnerving for me. One time I rented an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lee-smith/every-time-i-was-driving-on-the-l-a-freeway-in-a-small-car-it-was/) [Lauren Lee Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lee-smith/) > [People don't want to give up their SUVs. They don't want to turn the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/people-don-t-want-to-give-up-their-suvs-they-don-t-want-to-turn-the/) [Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/) > [The problem was money and the indignities of life without it. Every stroller, cell phone, Yankees cap, and SUV he saw was a torment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/the-problem-was-money-and-the-indignities-of-life-without-it-every/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [Ranger cradled my face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe the tears from my eyes. "The ceremony is over. Can you make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/ranger-cradled-my-face-in-his-hands-using-his-thumbs-to-wipe-the/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [In some suburban schools, the curriculum is chock-full of rigorous A.P. courses and the parking lot glitters with pricey SUVs, but one doesn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/in-some-suburban-schools-the-curriculum-is-chock-full-of-rigorous-a-p/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [The things that inform student culture are created and controlled by the unseen culture, the sociological aspects of our climbing culture, our 'me' generation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/the-things-that-inform-student-culture-are-created-and-controlled-by/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) ## More by Paul R. Ehrlich > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [With taxes, if they aren't working right, we can change them with a stroke of the pen. It's basically a market-type mechanism. People make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/with-taxes-if-they-aren-t-working-right-we-can-change-them-with-a/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [There's all of this stuff where we have so much debate over nonsense; it could be cured if we had a better educational system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/there-s-all-of-this-stuff-where-we-have-so-much-debate-over-nonsense/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [ In ten years \[i.e., 1980\] all important animal life in the sea will be extinct. Large areas of coastline will have to be evacuated… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/in-ten-years-i-e-1980-all-important-animal-life-in-the-sea-will-be/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [So, regarding the time frame, I'm only too willing to admit that my crystal ball, like everybody else's, is cracked. If I could predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/so-regarding-the-time-frame-i-m-only-too-willing-to-admit-that-my/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [If we were redesigning around people instead of around automobiles, which I think the market is more or less going to do, although too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/if-we-were-redesigning-around-people-instead-of-around-automobiles/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Sometimes I think the Congress feels that if you only decided tomorrow to switch to wind power that in two years we'd be getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/sometimes-i-think-the-congress-feels-that-if-you-only-decided/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Solving the population problem is not going to solve the problems of racism, of sexism, of religious intolerance, of war, of gross economic inequality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/solving-the-population-problem-is-not-going-to-solve-the-problems-of/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Your children should have it impressed upon them that their adult life-style will bear very little resemblance to yours and that they should now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/your-children-should-have-it-impressed-upon-them-that-their-adult/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [The mother of the year should be a sterilized woman with two adopted children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/the-mother-of-the-year-should-be-a-sterilized-woman-with-two-adopted/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Overall, The Population Bomb was probably too optimistic. I was writing about climate change - Anne and I actually wrote the book. We discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/overall-the-population-bomb-was-probably-too-optimistic-i-was-writing/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [I don't think scientists can dictate from above what we should do, because it's not a matter of scientific decision. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/i-don-t-think-scientists-can-dictate-from-above-what-we-should-do/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Organisms are starting to move in response to climate change all over the place. Bees are disappearing and we don't have many of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/organisms-are-starting-to-move-in-response-to-climate-change-all-over/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Woman should have the choice whether to have an abortion or not, but I like what Bill Clinton said: It ought to be safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/woman-should-have-the-choice-whether-to-have-an-abortion-or-not-but-i/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [After The Bomb we developed a fairly good system for moving food around and have avoided the kind of massive famines that attract the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/after-the-bomb-we-developed-a-fairly-good-system-for-moving-food/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) [Explore all 52 Paul R. Ehrlich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) ## More Consumption quotes > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [“Truth is commodity in political consumption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/truth-is-commodity-in-political-consumption/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Is the minor convenience of allowing the present generation the luxury of doubling its energy consumption every 10 years worth the major hazard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/is-the-minor-convenience-of-allowing-the-present-generation-the/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [The obsessive documentation is itself adjacent to hyper-consumption in our society. The desire to just have everything all the time and adjacent to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/the-obsessive-documentation-is-itself-adjacent-to-hyper-consumption/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [Over-consumption is a cancer eating away at our spiritual vitals. It distances us from the great masses of broken bleeding humanity. It converts us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/over-consumption-is-a-cancer-eating-away-at-our-spiritual-vitals-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is a very effective way to raise awareness and consumption of two vital food groups that are sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dean-crapo/the-fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-program-is-a-very-effective-way-to/) [Michael Dean Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dean-crapo/) > [On the whole it may be observed, that the specific use of a body of unproductive consumers, is to give encouragement to wealth by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/on-the-whole-it-may-be-observed-that-the-specific-use-of-a-body-of/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [Gentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about Glasnost and Perestroika and democracy in the coming years. They are primarily for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/gentlemen-comrades-do-not-be-concerned-about-all-you-hear-about/) [Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/) > [We are being conditioned, as a population, to never wait, to never delay our gratification, to accept thoughtless, constant consumption as the new norm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-wortham/we-are-being-conditioned-as-a-population-to-never-wait-to-never-delay/) [Jenna Wortham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-wortham/) > [Americans don't eat horses. They are not raised as food animals and they are treated with chemicals that render them unsafe for consumption. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/americans-don-t-eat-horses-they-are-not-raised-as-food-animals-and/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [You might think of consumption as a fairly passive activity, but buying new products and services is actually pretty risky, at least if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/you-might-think-of-consumption-as-a-fairly-passive-activity-but/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [“Every society clings to a myth by which it lives. Ours is the myth of economic growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-jackson/every-society-clings-to-a-myth-by-which-it-lives-ours-is-the-myth-of/) [Tim Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-jackson/) > [You cannot control your own population by force, but it can be distracted by consumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-cannot-control-your-own-population-by-force-but-it-can-be/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The regular consumption of amino acids improved my health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-regular-consumption-of-amino-acids-improved-my-health/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [At the outset of the creation of the euro in 1999, it was expected that the southern eurozone economies would behave like those in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-outset-of-the-creation-of-the-euro-in-1999-it-was-expected/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) [Browse all 771 Consumption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It turns out the population issue is an easier thing to deal with than the consumption issue. 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