What Fertility Rates in Africa Tell Us About Global Development
“The key thing you can do to reduce population growth is actually [to] improve health.” – Bill Gates The UN estimates that world population is projected to reach 9.8 billion people by 2050 – an increase of over two billion people in just thirty years. If you’re concerned about the environment (and I’m willing to […]
Federal Protection of Abortion Does Not Equate to Access for All
It’s not just Brett Kavanaugh posing a risk to reproductive rights in America. State-level restrictions prevent many women from exercising their right to choose here at home. What’s at stake when women are denied their reproductive rights? The country of El Salvador offers a cautionary tale. Kamala Harris: “Can you think of any laws that […]
Lower Birth Rates Trigger False Alarms
The cover of our current magazine issue notes that lower birth rates alarm economists. As Washington Post economics columnist Robert J. Samuelson wrote last December, “No one can say we weren’t warned. For years, scholars of all shapes and sizes — demographers, economists, political scientists — have cautioned that the populations of most advanced countries […]
Just How Dangerous Is the Supreme Court Nomination? A Quick Look Into Why Family Planning is Absolutely Necessary, In Case Anyone Forgot.
Can you think of a concept that’s been unfairly stigmatized at the expense of both personal freedom and social progress? These days, it’s easy to name a few. In light of recent events, though, let’s focus on one: access to contraceptives. It’s not news that family planning is considered an essential aspect of comprehensive healthcare […]
Earth Overshoot Day: A Lesson in Basic Personal Finance
Earth Overshoot Day marks the point in the calendar year when humanity’s consumption of natural resources exceeds our planet’s yearly biocapacity. As of August 1st, only seven months into 2018, we have already used up all the resources that Earth is able to generate over the course of one year. To use an extended metaphor, imagine […]
ZPG to PopConnect: Half a Century in the Making of “Family Planning as a Human Right”
Fifty years ago, the United Nations officially recognized family planning as a universal human right. This landmark declaration was established in the Proclamation of Tehran drafted and adopted by the International Conference on Human Rights (ICHR) in 1968. As Article 16 of the Proclamation states, “The protection of the family and of the child remains […]
Promoting Family Planning as a Human Right on World Population Day
Today is World Population Day—a day meant to draw attention to the various social and environmental implications of rapid population growth and compel people into action. This year’s theme highlights “family planning as a human right,” and urges us to make the clear connections between population and access to healthcare. World Population Day was first […]
“Factfullness” and Understanding Population Impacts
The news these days just objectively feels pretty depressing, doesn’t it? Political polarization, nuclear threats, misguided trade deals, destructive natural disasters, and a rapidly increasing global population might even induce panic or paranoia for those paying close attention. And, let’s face it. Some of this is for good reason! While we are bombarded with the […]
Pollinator Week 2018: Making the Population Connection
June 18-24 marks a weeklong celebration of the hardworking critters that fertilize our planet’s flowering plants! Let’s take this National Pollinator Week to recognize both the indispensable contributions of pollinators in our daily lives—and the major threats they face thanks in part to rapid population growth. Bees may be at the center of the spotlight […]
Personal Freedom, Consumerism, and the “Population Connection”
This post is the first in a series exploring the role of population issues in international development. Personal freedom. Autonomy. The ability to choose your path in life, and to harness the power of self-expression. Some would argue that these principles are human rights – inherent to human existence. In fact, aspirations towards a ubiquitous […]
