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In this interview with community advocate, sociologist and criminologist, educator, and researcher, Dr. Kimya Nuru Dennis (Keem-ya New-ru Dennis), we discuss the findings of her research on the Black childfree diaspora in countries around the world, as well as the unique challenges of being Black and childfree. We also touch upon the role that patriarchy and male domination plays in the relative powerlessness of women to take control over their reproduction, especially in BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. Dr. Dennis ends off by discussing the need to have uncomfortable and real conversations in order to engage in authentic equity and justice work.

Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Dr. S.Y. Quraishi discusses his latest book The Population Myth: Islam, Politics, and Family Planning in India. Dr. Quraishi debunks the myth around exaggerated fears of Muslim numbers, born out of right-wing Islamophobic political propaganda, while also sharing that the lack of socio-economic empowerment rather than religiosity fuels higher fertility rates.

Columbian-born American award-winning Family and Reproductive Health Specialist, Dr. Esgar Guarín (goo-ah-reen) talks about his journey that led him to becoming a full-time vasectomist. Using a mobile vasectomy clinic as his advocacy vehicle to drive around the US spreading humor and activism, while offering free on-site mobile vasectomies, Dr. G is on a mission to help destigmatize male reproductive responsibility for the love of their partners and the planet.  In this episode, we discuss the simplicity of a non-scalpel out-patient vasectomy procedure, the statistics and stigma surrounding sterlization, and the need to reclaim the procedure for reproductive liberation and responsibility.

Biodiversity scientist, collaborative team-builder, conflict-resolver, global change scientist and policy strategist and CEO of STable Planet Alliance, Dr. Phoebe Barnard is on a mission to bend the curve on population and consumption. With decades of experience working in South Africa and Namibia, and as the lead author of the World Scientists' Warnings Into Action: Local to Global paper, Phoebe discusses the importance of moving beyond dichotomous thinking and rallying together leaders from communities across faith, science, and activism to urgently take actions to protect our incredible spaceship Earth - with humility, love, and deep collaboration.

Award-winning filmmaker Therese Shechter discusses her new paradigm shifting documentary film My So-Called Selfish Life about one of our greatest social taboos: choosing not to become a mother. At a time when reproductive rights are increasingly under threat due to growth-driven pro-natalist population policies, Therese shines a light on these oppressive unspoken but powerful cultural narratives that seek to maintain control over women’s minds, bodies, and their imagined life stories. We also discuss the need to promote a broader conception of the word 'family', childfree dating, and ways to host a film screening in your own community.

Legal scholar and ethicist Carter Dillard elegantly argues why the act of having children is interpersonal rather than personal, and shares his vision for a just and sustainable society in which each child is brought into this world in a manner that ensures they have an ecologically and socially fair start in life. His model seeks to replace the dysfunctional parent-focused model created by governments to ensure population growth and evade collective responsibility to invest in kids. He discusses why the rights to have children must be balanced with the obligations towards these children, as well as to the rest of the living world - both current and future.

Michael Bayliss from Sustainable Population Australia shares his vision for a post-growth society that is rooted in a background in economics, on-the-ground town-planning advocacy, tangible conversations with stakeholders, indigenous consultation, experiential awareness, spirituality, compassion, and love. Michael also discusses how being childfree, vegan, and minimalist offers him existential reprieve and allows him to maximize his advocacy in service of our beautiful planet and all its sacred inhabitants.

Sarah Baillie and Kelley Dennings from The Center for Biological Diversity share their exciting initiatives and advocacy work on destigmatizing sex, contraception, and reproductive decisions. They also share the state of the sex ed curriculum across the states in the US, as well as their important work on awareness campaigns relating to population and consumption pressures on biodiversity. Nandita Bajaj welcomes long-time staff member of Population Balance, Alan Ware, as her new co-host, and they discuss the recent news about the rising levels of climate anxiety among youth around the world, and how our current predicament impacts intergenerational justice. Mentioned in This Episode Today’s youth will face ‘unmatched’ climate extremes compared to older generations https://www.carbonbrief.org/todays-youth-will-face-unmatched-climate-extremes-compared-to-older-generations Four in 10 young people fear having children due to climate crisis https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/14/four-in-10-young-people-fear-having-children-due-to-climate-crisis New Coalition of Organizations Calls for Sustainable Family Planning In Face of Climate Crisis https://www.populationbalance.org/news Women on Their Choice To Be Child-Free https://msmagazine.com/2021/09/24/child-free-women-no-kids-contraception-birth-control/ Birds and the Bees: The Need for Sex Ed Curriculum Updates https://msmagazine.com/2021/08/12/back-to-school-comprehensive-sex-ed-curriculum/ Stop Panicking—There Are a Lot of Positives to the Baby Bust https://msmagazine.com/2021/03/15/baby-bust-positives-declining-birth-rate-covid-population-growth-earth-overshoot-day/ The Fight for Reproductive Health Care Is a Fight for Human Rights https://msmagazine.com/2020/11/18/contraception-birth-control-the-fight-for-reproductive-health-care-is-a-fight-for-human-rights/ Reproductive Justice is Climate Justice: Why I’m Celebrating My IUD This Earth Day https://msmagazine.com/2018/04/20/reproductive-justice-climate-justice-im-celebrating-iud-earth-day/ SIECUS - Sex Ed For Social Change https://siecus.org/sex-ed-is-a-vehicle-for-social-change/   The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by Population Balance. We offer education and solutions to address the impacts of human overpopulation and overconsumption on the planet, people, and animals. We do this by: empowering people to make liberated and informed family choices free from the pervasive forces of pronatalism that pressure us into having children; advocating for a radical shift in our relationship to animals and the rest of the natural world—from that of dominion to one of reverence and stewardship; challenging unjust and growth-driven cultural, political, and economic systems that exploit marginalized human communities and threaten all life on earth. Join co-hosts Nandita Bajaj and Alan Ware, along with guest experts, as we shine a little light on this often misunderstood subject. Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

Physician turned documentarian Sofia Pineda Ochoa explains why she is taking our society to task for ignoring the peril of human overpopulation. Habitat destruction, species extinction, and animal agriculture top the list of topics. Human numbers are the root of the problem. “Can’t we talk about something that’s so obvious and undeniable?” asks Ochoa. Co-host Nandita Bajaj also shares a name change and updated mission, plus a new tag line, “shrink toward abundance.” World Population Balance is now Population Balance, and the web address is now populationbalance.org. Also, we announce that co-host Dave Gardner is leaving the podcast. Listen in for all the details. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Population Balance Board of advisors https://www.populationbalance.org/boa We Need to Talk About Overpopulation: An Interview with Nandita Bajaj https://humaneeducation.org/we-need-to-talk-about-overpopulation-an-interview-with-nandita-bajaj/ Endgame 2050 documentary https://youtu.be/o8YomEOExkc MeatYourFuture https://meatyourfuture.com/ 3 recent videos by Sofia Pineda Ochoa Humanity's Land-Grab Disasterhttps://youtu.be/D9rSeKFcx18 Vanishing Insects Spell Trouble for Humanshttps://youtu.be/bCUFTYuABhg The Betrayal of Ignoring Human Overpopulationhttps://youtu.be/SHTeCHKGh7w The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by Population Balance. We make the connections between overpopulation and the many vexing issues of the day. We make it possible for individuals and couples to make more fully informed and carefully considered family-size decisions. Smaller families are key to achieving a sustainable population and creating a more resilient and beautiful future. Overpopulation is one of the two main drivers of resource depletion, poverty, climate change, and species extinction. The good news: overpopulation is solvable - ethically, equitably and voluntarily. Join co-hosts Dave Gardner and Nandita Bajaj, along with occasional guest experts, as we shine a little light on this often misunderstood subject. Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

Are our decisions about having children really made freely – without pressure from government, church, business, media, family and friends? The decision to have children or not is arguably one of the most important decisions we make in our lives. It’s largely regarded as an isolated personal decision and a natural rite of passage into adulthood. But how personal, really, is our decision to have a child? This podcast episode features audio from the World Population Day webinar hosted by World Population Balance on 7 July, 2021: Pronatalism and Overpopulation: Challenging the Social Pressures to Procreate. You can view the video of the webinar at https://www.populationbalance.org/our-webinars  Moderator: Nandita Bajaj, Executive Director of World Population Balance Panelists: Laura Carroll Internationally recognized expert on the childfree choice Author, The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds from Outmoded Thinking about Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World Co-Author, Man Swarm: How Overpopulation is Killing the Wild World Contributor, Voluntary and Involuntary Childlessness: The Joys of Otherhood? Author, Families of Two: Interviews with Happily Married Couples without Children by Choice Elisabeth Dimitras Freelance researcher based in Greece for international anti-speciesist NGOs Creator of educational online platform, Ethos & Empathy Orna Donath Israeli sociologist, lecturer, writer and feminist activist Author, Regretting Motherhood Teaches at Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, and the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo Dr. Amrita Nandy New Delhi-based researcher and writer whose work on gender, rights and culture has been published in national and international books, journals  Author, Motherhood and Choice: Uncommon Mothers, Childfree Women LINKS: Pronatalism and Overpopulation: Challenging the Social Pressures to Procreate – webinar video https://www.populationbalance.org/our-webinars Lund University study: The Climate Mitigation Gap: Education and Government Recommendations Miss the Most Effective Individual Actions – by Seth Wynes and Kimberly A. Nicholas https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541 The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance. We make the connections between overpopulation and the many vexing issues of the day. We make it possible for individuals and couples to make more fully informed and carefully considered family-size decisions. Smaller families are key to achieving a sustainable population and creating a more resilient and beautiful future. Overpopulation is one of the two main drivers of resource depletion, poverty, climate change, and species extinction. The good news: overpopulation is solvable - ethically, equitably and voluntarily. Join co-hosts Dave Gardner and Nandita Bajaj, along with occasional guest experts, as we shine a little light on this often misunderstood subject. Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

“Humankind is using up the biophysical basis of its own existence.” That’s the bottom line of this Earth Overshoot Day conversation with William Rees, the father of ecological footprint analysis.  According to Rees, “the only way out of overshoot is less production and less consumption, so it means a much smaller economy and far fewer people.” Earth Overshoot Day in 2021 is July 29. At this point in the year, we've already demanded a year's worth of the Earth's sustainable regenerative capacity. LINKS: Pronatalism and Overpopulation: Challenging the Social Pressures to Procreatehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7FCMriyVEeMLd3ng0lMWDojlpIFkjuyV Earth Overshoot Day https://www.overshootday.org/ Global Footprint Network https://www.footprintnetwork.org/ This Sustainable Life podcast https://joshuaspodek.com/podcast Untucking Overpopulation with Alexandra Paul - Episode 62 of The Overpopulation Podcast https://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/podcasts/2021-06-02-episode-62-untucking-overpopulation-alexandra-paul Human Overpopulation: An Overview – Alexandra Paul presentation at San Diego State University https://sdsu.zoom.us/rec/play/s7FhvLVhomKSK4j66kW1XhIKOKO_4pR4Z_MrIFZhY6GGejMa9cedngAfqq4QGT1nB6IMacWdQa90kdOa.MU51GB96njRiOXW-?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=UaetWGlsSOaWSg-JoJ7VRw.1622056257385.2a26ec9ce8972216cf8b211a77a179f9&_x_zm_rhtaid=604 Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth – by William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/318225.Our_Ecological_Footprint The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance. We make the connections between overpopulation and the many vexing issues of the day. We make it possible for individuals and couples to make more fully informed and carefully considered family-size decisions. Smaller families are key to achieving a sustainable population and creating a more resilient and beautiful future. Overpopulation is one of the two main drivers of resource depletion, poverty, climate change, and species extinction. The good news: overpopulation is solvable - ethically, equitably and voluntarily. Join co-hosts Dave Gardner and Nandita Bajaj, along with occasional guest experts, as we shine a little light on this often misunderstood subject. Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Activists online community Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

Great strides have been made in advancing women’s reproductive autonomy, but there is still much to accomplish. Kathleen Mogelgaard, new president of the Population Institute discusses the Institute’s work, including reducing the unmet need for family planning (affecting over 200 million women around the world) and an active effort to permanently repeal the global gag rule (which interferes with provision of important family planning services). Regarding the recent surge in baby-bust alarmism, Kathleen notes that the lower birth rate in the U.S. represents real progress – women taking advantage of a greater diversity of opportunities, and fewer unintended and fewer teen pregnancies. We all agree the response to dropping birth rates – an emphasis on bumping up birth rates – is demeaning, reducing the role of women to manufacturers of future workers, consumers and taxpayers. Also on the agenda: the history of the “population taboo,” the continuing need to improve overpopulation literacy, and the real possibility of seeing an end to population growth this century. LINKS: Pronatalism and Overpopulation: Challenging the Social Pressures to Procreate – register here for free webinar hosted by World Population Balance on July 7, 2021 Double Dividends: Population Dynamics & Climate Adaptation – 2014 Wilson Center panel What is a Solutionary? Population Institute Population: Off the Radar, Not Off the Map – by Kathleen Mogelgaard Don't Panic About Slower Population Growth – by Kathleen Mogelgaard 2019 UNFPA State of the World Population Report: Unfinished Business: The Pursuit of Rights and Choices for All (Kathleen Mogelgaard was lead researcher and author) Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act ORNA DONATH Speaks About FREEDOM on [m]otherhood – video clip Regretting Motherhood – by Orna Donath [m]otherhood – a transmedia documentary   The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Activists online community Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

It’s an insane world where speaking the scientific truth is an act of courage. Actress Alexandra Paul has been courageously educating people about human overpopulation for over thirty years. Her most notable effort is a TEDx Talk, Overpopulation Facts - The Problem No One Will Discuss. The questions we ask her about that TEDx experience reveals just how irrational our society is about discussing this subject. We also discuss other actions Alexandra takes as a sustainable population activist, including op-eds and letters to newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. Also on the table: baby bust hysteria, veganism and animal rights, over 20 arrests, overconsumption, and our obsession with economic growth. LINKS: Overpopulation Facts - The Problem No One Will Discuss – Alexandra Paul at TEDx Topanga The Cost of Cool – Early overconsumption education film featuring Alexandra Paul Human Overpopulation: An Overview – Alexandra Paul presentation at San Diego State University Long Slide Looms for World Population, With Sweeping Ramifications (New York Times) Declining U.S. Birth Rate Adds Urgency to the Need for Smart Immigration Reform (Los Angeles Times) Why California Should Welcome the End of Unsustainable Growth (Los Angeles Times Letters to the Editor) The Declining American Birth Rate Could Actually be Good for the Economy (Business Insider) Switch4Good podcast Why Seth Rogen and His Wife Don’t Want Kids (The Howard Stern Show) The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Activists online community Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

New Executive Director and podcast co-host Nandita Bajaj shares her brief history and the meandering path that led her to becoming a sustainable population advocate. Former Executive Director Dave Gardner interviews Nandita her about her plans for World Population Balance and why she is dedicating her life to this cause. Nandita shares her perspectives of the tightly woven links between pronatalism, anthropocentrism and human overpopulation and why our growing human enterprise is one of the most pressing planetary justice issues of our time. A passionate advocate for minimalism, veganism, and childfree living, Nandita speaks about the joy of living simply in communion with all life on our planet. Dave and Nandita also share their excitement about continuing as the co-hosts of the podcast.   The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. LINKS: Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

Podcast co-host Dave Gardner reflects on the agony and the ecstasy of working to alert, educate, and inspire action to end our overpopulation crisis. Nandita Bajaj turns the table and interviews Gardner about his 6 years on the podcast and serving as executive director of World Population Balance. Who IS this guy? Why has he been working seven days a week for years to alert people about population overshoot and to “save the planet?” Don’t worry, Dave’s not leaving the podcast. But on May 1 he is stepping out of his position leading World Population Balance, the nonprofit standing up for the rights of future generations to live in a world worth inheriting. Gardner reflects on the state of the issue, and what progress has been made. He also shares his assessment of some of the obstacles to our work – including news media, economists, the population taboo, overpopulation denial, myths, misassumptions, and baby bust alarmism. Our next episode will announce and introduce World Population Balance’s new executive director. Don’t miss it! LINKS: Proven Solutions to Our Environmental Crises – view this panel on Earth Dayhttps://www.earthday2021.org 8 Billion Angels – info and screenings of new film about overpopulation http://www.8billionangels.org The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

On an overpopulated planet, a baby bust is cause for celebration. It’s exactly what we need. Yet today, because of growth addiction and widespread ignorance of the overpopulation crisis, dropping birth rates are being universally reported as bad news. We circle up for roundtable discussion of the phenomenon – and provide the very important alternative, science-based, viewpoint – in this episode. LINKS: How Many of Us Can Earth Support - episode 57 of The Overpopulation Podcasthttps://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/podcasts/2021-03-03-episode-57-how-many-us-can-earth-support 8 Billion Angels - film by Terry Spahr Earth Day panel, world premiere and other screenings info https://8billionangels.org/find-a-screening/ Final Report - The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review – by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/final-report-the-economics-of-biodiversity-the-dasgupta-review Baby Bust – UK Guardian video series by Leah Green https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/baby-bust COVID-19 "Baby Bust" an Acceleration of Longer-term Trend – CBS This Morninghttps://www.cbsnews.com/video/covid-19-baby-bust-an-acceleration-of-longer-term-trend/ We Expect 300,000 Fewer Births Than Usual This Year - by Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip B. Levinehttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/04/opinion/coronavirus-baby-bust.html National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts (Global Footprint Network data) https://data.footprintnetwork.org/ Stop Panicking—There Are a Lot of Positives to the Baby Bust – by Sarah Baillie https://msmagazine.com/2021/03/15/baby-bust-positives-declining-birth-rate-covid-population-growth-earth-overshoot-day/ The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

The solution to the human overpopulation crisis is quite beautiful. It means less childhood poverty, parents who aren’t exhausted, children receiving ample parental attention, families can afford nutritious food, health care and educational opportunities, and the planet can meet our needs long into the future. In part two of our conversation with Christopher Tucker, author of A Planet of 3 Billion, we continue exploring how to make the “uncomfortable” conversation about overpopulation more comfortable. One thing is certain: We’re keeping up the conversation, because the more we discuss it, the less uncomfortable the conversations. We also explore how the solution to human overpopulation can play out. Tucker explains that we have no choice; we absolutely must figure out how to run a prosperous global economy under continuous population decline. “If we just make the moral choice, and be bold, I have no doubt in my mind we can bend the curve early, and save our planet and our species from annihilation.” Christopher Tucker is chairman of the American Geographical Society, and strategic advisor to the US national security community. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD from Columbia University. Chris serves on a number of boards including the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation and the Open Geospatial Consortium. LINKS: How Many of Us Can Earth Support? – Episode 58 of The Overpopulation PodcastPart one of our conversation with Christopher Tucker https://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/podcasts/2021-03-03-episode-57-how-many-us-can-earth-support Are There Too Many of Us on Our Planet? Yes! – Episode 54 of The Overpopulation Podcast https://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/podcasts/2020-12-18-episode-54-are-there-too-many-us-our-planet-yes The Culling – novel by Robert Johnson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18499955-the-culling World Scientists’ Warning on Climate Changehttps://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806 A Planet of 3 Billion: Mapping Humanity’s Long History of Ecological Destruction and Finding Our Way to a Resilient Futurehttp://planet3billion.com/index.html Rights Based Voluntary Family Planning Motion International Union for Conservation of Nature https://margaretpyke.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A1-IUCN-Motion.pdf What Keeps the Growth Imperative Entrenched in our Culture?Dave’s presentation at the Intermountain Sustainability Summit on March 18, 2021 https://www.weber.edu/issummit More Fun, Less Stuffhttps://medium.com/@sustain5/more-fun-less-stuff-472ae3a86e91 The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

We’re asking the Earth to support 80 million more humans every year, and we add to the challenge by deleting some of the needed resources from the planet each year. Meanwhile, too few us ask the question, “What is a sustainable human population?” Christopher Tucker did ask the question, went to work on it, and wrote a book about it: A Planet of 3 Billion: Mapping Humanity’s Long History of Ecological Destruction and Finding Our Way to a Resilient Future. He came up with an “optimistic” answer of 3 billion. This episode features the first half of an insightful conversation we recently had with Tucker. Our discussion includes why he avoids using the term “overpopulation” (and why we DO use it), how and why the taboo on discussion of this topic came about, and the beautiful way we can bend the curve of human population numbers. How does achieving a global average fertility rate of 1.5 by 2030 sound? Is that really so crazy? Tucker points out this is just accelerating a norm shift that’s already underway. Christopher Tucker is chairman of the American Geographical Society, and strategic advisor to the US national security community. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD from Columbia University. Chris serves on a number of boards including the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation and the Open Geospatial Consortium. LINKS: A Planet of 3 Billion: Mapping Humanity’s Long History of Ecological Destruction and Finding Our Way to a Resilient Future http://planet3billion.com/index.html  Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT) http://www.vhemt.org/ The Pregnancy Reaction Videos You Won't Seehttps://www.cracked.com/video_20223_the-pregnancy-reaction-videos-you-wont-see.html We Know How Many People the Earth Can Support – by Christopher Tucker in the Journal of Population and Sustainability December 2020 https://jpopsus.org/full_articles/we-know-how-many-people-the-earth-can-support/ The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

A smorgasbord of good and bad news about efforts to achieve a sustainable population on this planet. The good news is more and more people are recognizing – and speaking out about – the need for society to end our obsession with growth. We give a shout out to James Pogue, a writer at Harper’s Magazine, for his enlightened comment on Real Time with Bill Maher about the fact that we WILL need a national conversation about ending our obsession with infinite economic growth (hear his words in this episode). Also, good news that South Korea’s fertility rate has dropped below 1.0. While growth-addicted policymakers, economists and journalists are treating this as a problem, it is actually very good news for a nation that imports more than half its food supply. The bad news is Canadian politician Garnett Genuis continues to defame the One Planet, One Child billboard campaign, despite Dave’s repeated attempts to correct his misassumptions. Also, scientists’ assessment of our progress on diminishing the climate crisis is not good. A shout out to Population Matters Head of Campaigns Alistair Currie for his interview with Judy Lynn Wong, founder of the Black Environment Network, who said, “"Young people have a hunger to protect the environment – let’s talk about population. They’re ready for it." Plus, celebrities are making big bucks with sponsored tweets announcing their pregnancies. Should World Population Balance sponsor tweets sharing the good news of negative pregnancy test results? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Aging Population: Nothing to Fear – Episode 55 of The Overpopulation Podcasthttps://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/podcasts/2021-01-05-episode-55-aging-population-nothing-fear Ending Overshoot publication on Medium https://medium.com/ending-overshoot Dear Joe Biden and Kamala Harris: Build Forward to a Sustainable Futurehttps://medium.com/ending-overshoot/dear-joe-biden-and-kamala-harris-build-forward-to-a-sustainable-future-4ba74225b9c2 One Planet, One Child billboard campaign https://oneplanetonechild.org/ Biden Repeals the 'Global Gag Rule,' But Next Steps Will be 'Huge Undertaking'https://www.devex.com/news/biden-repeals-the-global-gag-rule-but-next-steps-will-be-huge-undertaking-98954 The Climate Emergency: 2020 in Review (a new World Scientists Warning) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-climate-emergency-2020-in-review/ Corey Bradshaw (lead author) interview https://youtu.be/sEHot7F_dnI Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Futurehttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419/full Greta Thunberg’s Message to the Davos Agendahttps://www.weforum.org/videos/greta-thunberg-s-message-to-the-davos-agenda Jane Goodall: 'Change Is Happening. There Are Many Ways to Start Moving in the Right Way'https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/03/jane-goodall-change-is-happening-there-are-many-ways-to-start-moving-in-the-right-way Can Icebergs Be Towed to Water-Starved Citieshttps://www.whoi.edu/news-insights/content/can-icebergs-be-towed-to-water-starved-cities/ Is the US Population in Decline? More Ponzi Demographyhttps://thehill.com/opinion/finance/533411-is-the-us-population-in-decline-more-ponzi-demography  As Birthrate Falls, South Korea’s Population Declines, Posing Threat to Economyhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/world/asia/south-korea-population.html Demographic Crisis Cannot Be Tackled With Piecemeal Measureshttp://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinon/2020/12/202_300988.html As Families Change, Korea’s Elderly are Turning to Suicidehttps://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/world/asia/in-korea-changes-in-society-and-family-dynamics-drive-rise-in-elderly-suicides.html Celebrity Pregnancy Is Big Businesshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/23/style/celebrity-pregnancy-social-media.html The Love of the Human: Interview with Ludy Ling Wonghttps://populationmatters.org/news/2020/12/02/love-human-interview-judy-ling-wong The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through dramatic and voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email        

Are nations with low birth rates going to collapse due to a temporary bulge in the ranks of the elderly? On an overpopulated planet, this is an important question. Depopulation alarmists in numerous countries are pushing for baby bonuses or high immigration quotas in order to avoid getting into recovery from growth addiction. It’s all for the sake of maintaining perpetually increasing numbers of taxpayers, consumers and workers. This approach to demography is unsustainable and dangerous. Dave Gardner and guest co-host Nandita Bajaj are joined by Jane O’Sullivan, lead author of the paper, Silver Tsunami or Silver Lining? Why we should not fear an ageing population. Jane explains why the fears propagated by alarmists are vastly exaggerated or ill-founded. LINKS: Silver Tsunami or Silver Lining?Why we should not fear an ageing populationLead author: Jane O’Sullivan ABC’s RN Breakfast with Fran Kelly Interview with MP Alan Tudge, Australia’s Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Some of Jane O'Sullivan's Writing: Will Global Population Peak Below 10 Billion? Five Myths About Population, Aging and Environmental Sustainability World Population Prospects, 2019 – Good News or Bad WWF Living Planet Report 2018 – “aiming higher”, but not on target Aging Human Populations: Good for Us, Good for the Earth The Overpopulation Podcast is produced by World Population Balance, a non-profit organization committed to alerting and educating that overpopulation is a root cause of resource depletion, species extinction, poverty, and climate change. Our mission is to chart a path for human civilization that – rather than causing greater misery – enables good lives on a healthy planet. We advocate and support a smaller, truly sustainable human population – through dramatic and voluntary reduction in birth rates.  We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth’s finite resources. Subscribe to Balanced View print newsletter (please request print version only if you’re not content to get this via email/website link) Share Your Thoughts With Us Join the Sustainable Population Meetup Receive Overpopulation Updates via email