The population problem has no technical solution; it requires a fundamental extension in morality..

Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all..

It takes five years for a willing person's mind to change. Have patience with yourself and others when treading in an area protected by a taboo..

Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons..

A technical solution may be defined as one that requires a change only in the techniques of the natural sciences, demanding little or nothing in the ….

The essence of dramatic tragedy is not unhappiness. It resides in the solemnity of the remorseless working of things..

The rational herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And another; and another . . . ….

The greatest folly is to accept expert statements uncritically. At the very least, we should always seek another opinion..

You cannot do only one thing..

In a competitive world of limited resources, total freedom of individual action is intolerable.

Never globalize a problem if it can possibly be dealt with locally..

There is nothing more dangerous than a shallow thinking compassionate person.

Ecological differentiation is the necessary condition for coexistence..

Value is a relative concept: the value of each action is determined by comparing it with other possible actions..

The only kind of coercion I recommend is mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon by the majority of the people affected..

The only thing we can really count on in this uncertain world is human unreliability itself..

Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily fo….

You can never do merely one thing. The law applies to any action that changes something in a complex system. The point is that an action taken to all….

A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal zero..

Ecology is the overall science of which economics is a minor speciality..

Every plausible policy must be followed by the question 'And then what?'.