Forests and their critical role in 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 […]
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 […]
The Links Between Population and the Environment, Explained
Earth’s complex natural systems sustain all life. Biodiverse terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems also enhance human livelihoods and well-being. When human numbers were small, our impact on the environment was localized and minimal (for a visual representation of how human population numbers have grown throughout history, check out Population Education’s famous “dot” video!). However, as […]
Ten Population and Environment Connections
Human caused environmental changes, while felt everywhere, manifest differently by location. A forest you once explored on the periphery of New York State’s Adirondack Park may have large clearings from decreased fracking regulations—a relic from the Trump administration. You may have been ordered to evacuate your coastal home on the Gulf of Mexico in the […]
A Scientist’s Silly Musings on the Serious Subject of Population Growth
Deep knowledge and professional acumen in one area does not confer expertise in all subjects. The false alarm sounded about ostensible population decline in a recent Irish Times commentary entitled Reducing World Population May Be a Bad Idea by Dr. William Reville, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at Ireland’s University College Cork, is an excruciating case […]
Sustainable Swaps That Sometimes Save Money
Sometimes the fight against climate change can feel overwhelming. The huge corporations that refuse to adapt can feel untouchable, and policy changes are happening too slowly. One small way to exert some control is to make everyday lifestyle changes that contribute to a more sustainable future. For me, making small changes in my home helped […]
COVID-19 Lockdowns Clear Skies
People hate to take the heat. We are masters of deflection and somehow always find a way to put the blame on someone, or something, else. And then, when there’s no one else to blame, we resort to sheer denial. Take climate change, for example. On an episode of “Good Morning Britain” in 2019, Trump […]
Population Connection Launches Project Highlighting the Effects of Population Growth on Climate Change
Sign Up to Help Stop Climate Change As the United States’ leading grassroots organization seeking to stabilize global population through education about population challenges and advocacy supporting U.S. investment in voluntary domestic and international family planning programs, Population Connection will launch a project aimed at illuminating the link between empowering women and girls and addressing […]
Scientists Call for Population Stabilization—and Gradual Reduction—to Mitigate “Climate Emergency”
Over 11,000 scientists from 153 countries signed on to an article — “World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency” — published in BioScience yesterday, declaring that we’re facing a “climate emergency.” Prominent climate scientist James Hansen is among the signatories. It’s a short piece, published in the “Viewpoint” section of the academic journal, and it’s […]
We Can Save the Planet if We React Decisively: The Healing Ozone Layer Is Proof
I admit, when I heard that today was International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, my initial reaction was confusion. Wait, I thought. The ozone layer gets its own day? I thought we already fixed that. Back in the 90s, we heard a lot about the holes in the ozone layer and how […]
