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World population is growing astoundingly quickly. Every year about 135
million people are born and 55 million people die, adding 80 million to our global
population. That is 1 billion more people every 12 years.
The size of our population is a root cause of many environmental and social ills, including
Empower women and families
to plan how many children they want.
About 200 million women in the world would prefer to delay having children
but do not have access to birth control information and supplies. So
we need to provide those. Beyond that, many studies have shown that when
women have more education and job opportunities, they choose to have
smaller families. So better
education is a critical part of the solution.
Remind people that our
population is already above a sustainable level, and in many regions well above a
comfortable level. To deal with these environmental and social ills, we should all be asking
"what is the best population size
for my region", and "how many people should the Earth
support in a prosperous manner?"
Various writers in the 60's and
70's, including Paul Ehrlich with his widely read book, "The Population Bomb", helped raise
public awareness about the
environmental risks that high population causes. As a result, many people decided
to have smaller families, and birthrates dropped significantly.
This can happen again.
Please help us tell the story.
Return to How Many home page
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In the News
The Coming Famine by Julian Cribb book review-Aug, 2010
Cribb says we've passed peak oil, water, fertilizer and land;
he argues for more technological research and eating lower on
the food chain. He does not mention stabilizing population
(at least this reviewer does not note it).
[ article]
[ archive]
Risks of Deep Water Drilling 2010/08/30
Population pressure forces us to take risks we cannot control with deeper and
more complex drilling worldwide.
[ article]
[ archive]
Pakistan: Drowning today, Parched tomorrow 2010/08/16
Pakistan's fast-growing population has a very
uncertain outlook for future water supply. Sharing the waters
of the Indus River is a major source of conflict between Pakistan and India.
The U.S. may support a $12 billion agricultural and hydroelectric project.
[ article]
[ archive]
Downward Spiral of Hasty Population Growth July, 2010
More frequent need to rebuild roads, bridges, schools undercuts the economics of raising
population to offset future shortage of younger workers. Jane O'Sullivan article about
Australia applies to other nations that rely on high
population growth and high GDP growth.
[ article]
[ archive]
Four Urban Growth Boundary measures: on November ballots.
Establish boundary in Cloverdale.
Renew Petaluma's and Santa Rosa's.
Defend San Ramon's.
[ Greenbelt Alliance's] campaign.
The Population Problem is falling Births!!! July, 2010
It is amazing how some news sources report on population.
With population growth as the prime mover behind
28 environmental and social ills,
from traffic to world-wide hunger to "ethnic cleansing", they report on possibe
shortages of workers in 20 years although worker productivity is rising.
[ article]
[ archive]
China's Instant Cities 07/2010
Pictures and comments on China's booming construction. "Industry has long been yoked to
visions of utopia, but also ... the toxic emissions,
rising temperatures and habitat fragmentation associated with unchecked growth"
[ article]
Water Dispute Increases India - Pakistan Tension July, 2010
Sharing a major river, both countries have large and growing populations
and both need a population policy so that they can live comfortably with the resources available to them.
[ article]
Population surge outstrips efforts to eradicate slums
227 million people escaped slum conditions between 2000 and 2010. However, due to population increase
and urban migration the number of slum dwellers increased from 776 million to 827 million.
[ article]
Teen pregnancy fashion?
Will trendy advertising
for cute pregnancy clothes encourage teenage girls to think it's cool to be pregnant?
"Forever 21" with 400 stores and 12,000 employees just introduced such a line.
Call their corporate offices 213-741-5100 (& 888-494-3837)
and let them know what you think.
[ article]
Climate Change:
Calling Planet Birth
Family size is the great unmentionable in the campaign for more environmentally friendly lifestyles.
Having 1 less child in the US would reduce carbon emissions 19 times more than
all the E.P.A.'s recommended actions combined. -
[ article]
Gulf Oil Spill 2010: The burgeoning population forces us to take
the unknown risks of drilling in mile-deep ocean. Here are two
of many stories about the debacle:
Oil Hit Home- Arc of Frustration in Louisiana- May, 2010 - [ article]
The Critics Deconstructed Intersting article about the attacks against population activists,
and the need for population awareness
[ article]
The Last Taboo What unites the Vatican, lefties, conservatives,
environmentalists and scientists in a conspiracy of silence?
Read
The Last Taboo
by Julia Whitty in the June 2010 issue of
Mother Jones: "Who's to Blame for the Population Crisis?"
Drop in Birthrates in 2008 is Linked to Recession -Apr 2010
Population growth is not inevitable. When incentives favor postponing having children,
many people do.
[ article]
Smart Growth? the smart alternative is No Growth
Although city planners are trained to call some patterns of growth 'smart',
in many areas the only truely smart alternative is No Growth
[ article]
Parting the Waters - mid-East wars over Water Rights - March 31, 2010.
30 of the 37 Wars over Water in the past 60 years involve Israel and its neighbors.
Fewer people living in these desert regions would leave more water per person. This should
inform the population policies of all countries involved.
[ article]
Florida's "Hometown Democracy" amendment - Blocking Build-Build-Builders.
September 27, 2009 - Orlando Sentinel .
Our development pandemic threatens the economy as much as the environment. Building more
houses when the number of buyers has not increased deflates the value of houses that is going
to linger for years and years.
[ article]
A Pivotal Moment: Population, Justice & The Environmental Challenge
Dec 23,2009 This new book compiled by Laurie Mazur discusses environmental issues as they affect
equality, justice and sustainability. Regarding the UN's low and high estimates for World
population in 2050 "if we take seriously the twin imperatives of sustainablilty and equity, it
becomes clear that it would be easier to provide a good life - at less environmental cost - for
8 rather than almost 11 billion people."
[ Press Release]
[Past News Articles]
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