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Many people's first response our questions about population is, "Well, what
do you suggest -- being like China and allowing everyone to have only one child?"
The short answer is “no”!. There are many ways other than coercion to help
people realize the benefits of having fewer children. When people have education
and options for other
careers they tend to have fewer children. When people have means of support
in their old age, they are not dependent on having large families. And of course
millions of people would have fewer children if they access to birth control
information and supplies. We totally support couples having the freedom to
decide the number and spacing of their children.
Amazingly, there are many government programs that actually encourage people
to have children. One group analyzed U.S. laws and found over 1,000 incentives
to have children! Such programs may have made sense when our country, and the
world, was sparsely populated. But considering today's stresses on resources
and space, it would make sense to eliminate many of these.
And in fact, we give up many personal freedoms as population density increases.
We lose the freedom to drive where we want to go and park conveniently, to live
near work, to live in a spacious house. Zoning restrictions are more complex
in cities than in rural areas. We lose the freedom to walk alone on the beach
or by a mountain stream.
Even our democracy itself suffers as we lose personal connection with the politicians
who make our laws. What proportion of us are on first name basis with our U.S.
Senators, Representatives, or even our State representatives? How different
lawmaking might be if these politicians met their constituents at BBQs and events instead
of just meeting the lobbyists who have offices in Washington.
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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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