New Books Network Garrett Hardin’s Tragic Environmentalism
Oct 27, 2025
Peter Staudenmayer, a historian researching far-right environmentalism, and Miroslava Chavez-Garcia, a UC Santa Barbara historian, dive into Garrett Hardin's controversial legacy. They explore how Hardin's ideas on population control and abortion activism shaped environmental politics. The conversation reveals his ties to eugenics and immigration restriction, sparking debates on ethics in environmentalism. They also highlight contrasting views from Eleanor Ostrom that challenge Hardin's pessimistic assumptions, raising questions about our capacity for cooperative governance.
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Farm Childhood Shaped Harsh Views
- Garrett Hardin recalled slaughtering chickens and managing excess cats on his family farm, which shaped his belief that populations must be culled.
- Those childhood experiences became metaphors for his later views on human overpopulation and harsh population control.
Abortion Advocacy Driven By Population Goals
- Hardin became an active public advocate for abortion rights, giving widely attended talks before Roe v. Wade.
- He used abortion advocacy strategically as a tool for population control rather than feminist liberation.
Population Control Tied To Eugenic Networks
- Chavez-Garcia's archival research reveals Hardin prioritized controlling births among poor people and people of color.
- He combined population-control rhetoric with longstanding eugenic networks and organizations.
