Earth Day and the Failure of Apocalyptic Environmentalism

Originally published by Washington Examiner.

Celebrated environmental personality and former Stanford University biologist, Paul Ehrlich, passed away on March 13, 2026, at the age of 93. Earth Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on Ehrlich’s outsized impact, the event’s history, and to better understand how harmful environmental policies can be quickly normalized.

Actively promoted by elected officials and the media, Ehrlich’s profile grew throughout the 70s and 80s, allowing his extreme views to steer governments toward environmental policies that raise energy prices, restrict freedoms, and still harm people today.

With his published concerns about overpopulation and resource depletion, Ehrlich played a pivotal role in launching Earth Day and ramping up the early environmental movement.

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