'The Few Breeding Pairs of People That Survive'
Gaia Scientist: Billions Will Die This Century, Survivors Retreat to the Arctic in 'Breeding Pairs'
James Lovelock wrote in 2006 that by 2100 only a few breeding pairs of humans would be left, in the Arctic. By 2012 he said he had been 'alarmist'.
What was said
“before this century is over billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable.”
— James Lovelock, independent scientist and originator of the Gaia hypothesis (The Independent) · said 2006 · due before the century is over (by 2100)
His deadline: the end of the century. Verdict due by 2100; the Arctic property market remains calm.
The fine print
From his 2006 article in The Independent, as quoted by msnbc in 2012 and Wikipedia. In April 2012 he told msnbc.com he had been 'extrapolating too far,' and added: 'We were supposed to be halfway toward a frying world now.' He also said he was not a denier: 'It depends what you mean by a skeptic. I'm not a denier.' He named Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and Flannery's The Weather Makers as other 'alarmist' forecasts.
Later spin
The problem is we don't know what the climate is doing. We thought we knew 20 years ago. That led to some alarmist books – mine included – because it looked clear-cut, but it hasn't happened. (To msnbc.com, April 2012.)
Sources
- 'Gaia' scientist James Lovelock: I was 'alarmist' about climate change - msnbc/NBC News (April 23, 2012)accessed 2026-09-29
- James Lovelock - Wikipediaaccessed 2026-09-29
As of Oct 9, 2026
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