Population Balance

We are told so many tall tales about economic growth. That it is needed for environmental protection. That it is needed to build & maintain infrastructure. That it is needed for "innovation," which is needed to solve the ecological & social crises of our day (which are themselves overwhelmingly the product of economic growth). Or most commonly - and most egregiously - that it is needed to lift people up out of poverty. And yet - over the past several decades of robust economic growth in the richest countries, income inequality has soared. We are endlessly told to want economic growth for one reason: it flows to those at the top of the economic & political system, who control the narratives we see in the media. One place you won't hear these narratives? The Overpopulation Podcast! Check out this episode with ecological economist Joshua Farley, who sets us straight on the false promises of economic growth https://ow.ly/iRqv50UewBu

Widespread ecological disruption is already a way of life for many people in the world, and is accelerating too fast for reduced birth rates to prevent it. This is sometimes used as an excuse to dismiss population concerns and insist that they are irrelevant to forestalling climate change, species loss, habitat destruction and pollution. But the bottom line is: helping people plan smaller families is vital to human well-being in this time of ecological crisis. It eases adaptation, strengthens resilience and reduces human suffering, especially in places that are especially hard-hit by climate and other ecological changes. Our guest Chris Funk, climatologist and director of the Climate Hazards Center, has more on why population growth needs to be addressed as part of our climate response, and how early warning systems can help those most impacted https://ow.ly/wuMm50Uewkz

Once you peel back all the layers of pronatalist programming, people's authentic truth is often so different from what they thought they believed. Our Beyond Pronatalism podcast is about doing just that. Our guest Laura shares her story of escaping #tradwife culture https://lnkd.in/gZ9-aXZ7

Miraculously, there are those who still say we need economic growth "to end poverty" when steady growth has led to nothing but worsening inequality and cascading environmental degradation. Our guest Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, explains https://lnkd.in/epcgmd5Y

We agree! We’ve known for some time that the most powerful thing we can do to reduce our individual carbon footprint is to have fewer children. In fact, a recent study has shown that one child, extrapolated into generations of that child’s offspring, is responsible for 9441 metric tons of carbon. We still need systemic change: ending the fossil fuel industry, systematically shrinking our economy, shifting our metrics of “progress” from GDP to well-being. But in the meantime, there’s something we can all do: make sure that women and men everywhere have access to contraception and know the power of choosing a small family, choosing adoption, or choosing to be childfree. https://lnkd.in/gPrEEQJY

Our guests Millie and Mik grew up in disparate cultures and had different visions of what family could look like. But they agreed on one thing: with so many in need of nurturing and care, adoption - whether of humans or animals - is the way to go. Hear their story! https://ow.ly/trVo50Ubvui

How many of us decide to have children, even going as far as to undergo invasive, expensive and painful fertility treatments - simply because we think we're supposed to? How much of the "biological urge" for procreation is actually socially constructed - a product of pressures so ubiquitous we are not even aware of them because they are so much a part of our everyday experience? Our guest Sara describes her very relatable experience of a full life, fully lived - and yet with a creeping fear of missing out that led her to a place she never would have imagined. Hear her incredible story! https://lnkd.in/egmgczSw

Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian and founder of Conservation Through Public Health. She found that by talking to people about the enormous benefits of family planning for their own families' health, finances, and well-being, she could make a difference for the mountain gorillas & other imperiled wildlife populations threatened by human pressures. Hear her fascinating story! https://lnkd.in/euz4CfnC

The new book, Cohabiting Earth: Seeking a Bright Future for All Life, features our chapter titled "Restoring Balance through Procreative Responsibility." You can purchase the book through SUNY press or let us know if you'd like to read this chapter! https://lnkd.in/eAGWSThF

It’s #WorldVasectomyDay today! Esgar Guarín, MD MPH worked with World Vasectomy Day to help men around the world step up to their reproductive responsibility. Esgar talks about this revolutionary work with a mobile vasectomy van that expands access to this simple, painless procedure. Check out the full interview on Youtube https://lnkd.in/ekpFE3ks