Draconian Texas Abortion Ban Went Into Effect Today
Today is a dark day for reproductive freedom in Texas. On May 19, 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed S.B. 8 — the “Texas Heartbeat Act” — into law. The bill bans abortion at six weeks, as soon as fetal cardiac activity is detectable, which is before many people even know they’re pregnant. Today, that […]
We’re All in the Storm, but We’re Not in the Same Boat: U.S. Climate Gap Widens as Population Grows
Climate change is creating water crises at both ends of the spectrum in the United States, from extreme drought to extreme flooding. Lake Mead, the largest national reservoir in terms of water capacity, currently sits 200 feet below its usual water level. When the lake falls by about 35 more feet — projected to happen […]
The Criminalization of Abortion in Ecuador
Earlier this year, Ecuador’s high court finally decriminalized abortion in the case of pregnancy due to rape. Still, outside of the narrow exceptions (rape, as mentioned, and threat to the life of the pregnant person), abortion is illegal and can result in severe penalties. For instance, those receiving an abortion can be imprisoned up to […]
A Retrospective on Wildfire Regimes, Human Activities, and Population
I had never heard of a “fire season” before coming to Northern California. I grew up in Massachusetts, and my initial understanding of the Golden State’s weather patterns was similar to that of the popular Mark Twain quote: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Days up north were less […]
Deforestation and fossil fuel consumption drive climate change
Forests cover around 30% of our planet—and if you’re reading this post, you yourself might live close enough to wooded areas to take them for granted. However, as with many of our natural resources, the future of our forests is in peril. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the […]
Water Scarcity Halts Development in Utah, Nation’s Fastest Growing State
I read this article about drought in Utah from my home office in Maine during a thunderstorm so severe it sent my dog under the bed in hiding. I had just finished grumbling to my husband about having watered the garden that morning, since the forecast only showed a 50% chance of rain, and I […]
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All Means SRHR for People with Disabilities, Too
Happy Disability Pride Month! Globally, about 15%, or one billion people, experience some form of disability. Eighty percent of people with disabilities live in low- and middle-income countries, and 20% of the poorest people living in these countries have a disability. This month, we’re celebrating uniqueness and diversity in their fullest forms while fighting systemic […]
Pandemic-Era Pregnancy Prevention
In a country where the majority of health care coverage is tied to people’s employment, job losses due to Covid-19—which have predominantly impacted women and their families—have disrupted access to reproductive health care. According to the Center for American Progress, during the first ten months of the pandemic-induced recession, women—overwhelmingly those of color—lost a net […]
The Current State of Global Food Insecurity
Chronic food insecurity is a global, long-standing problem—we outlined the links between rapid population growth and food insecurity previously (read more here). Conflict and instability, climate shocks such as severe droughts and recently, swarms of locusts, and rapidly rising global food prices all contribute to food insecurity. Covid-19, which was declared a pandemic in March […]
World Population Milestones Throughout History
When Did the World Population Reach 1 Billion? Until the Industrial Revolution began, birth rates and death rates were both very high, which kept the global human population relatively stable. In fact, it took all of human history, until around 1800, to reach 1 billion people. Modern medicine and sanitation played heavily in reducing mortality […]
