The Overpopulation Project
TOP – Research and Outreach
Too many people consuming too much
Category: Biodiversity
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Watershed Woes
Despite half a century of efforts to improve water quality and restore fisheries in America’s Chesapeake Bay, its ecological condition continues to decline. A new study quantifies the environmental problems within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, explores their causes, and discusses possible futures. by Philip Cafaro As the third largest estuary on Earth, the Chesapeake Bay…
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Major UN report highlights overpopulation and overconsumption, need for profound transformation
A major new review of the state of the environment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides a comprehensive and refreshingly honest exploration of the root drivers of environmental degradation, and stresses the urgent need to overhaul how we live on this planet. by Olivia Nater, originally published by Population Connection The 7th edition…
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Thank you for the Baklava
Through a story centered around the nurturing of an orphaned owl, author Carl Safina tackles topics such as biodiversity loss, human overpopulation, and human beliefs. Richard Grossman has read the book. by Richard Grossman MD “Alfie & Me” is a many-layered joy to read! Its main story is as delicious as they come. An orphaned…
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Farewell to Jane Goodall — Population Activist
Jane Goodall was a champion for chimpanzees, conservation, and population activism. The latter aspect of her work has been conspicuously neglected in recent tributes to this scientific giant. by Leon Kolankiewicz Pioneering English primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall (1934-2025) passed away last week at the age of 91. In the days since, numerous, well-deserved and glowing…
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Population stability could improve UK living standards
With a population nearing 70 million, the UK is feeling the pressure on the housing and job markets. Stabilising the population would ease this pressure, giving more people access to affordable housing and strengthening wages, utlimately raising the quality of life for UK citizens. by R. M. Smilie Introduction The United Kingdom (UK) has rarely…
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Overpopulation: A New Survey Confirms the Cause of the Planet’s Environmental Crises
Synthesizing findings from hundreds of recent peer-reviewed scientific studies, a comprehensive new article reviews the effects of expanding human populations on humanity’s most pressing environmental problems. by Alon Tal A vast amount of research and rhetoric is devoted to the world’s many sustainability challenges. Yet most advocates and scientists assiduously avoid acknowledging the predominant driver…
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Is Homo sapiens an invasive species?
The global spread and increase of the human species is exceptional and seems unmatched in the animal kingdom. Some researchers suggest we resemble so-called invasive species. Does the label fit? By Frank Götmark (This a translation of a Swedish essay published in Svenska Dagbladet on 30 March, slightly modified) Japanese oyster, raccoon dog, lupine –…
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America’s “Serengeti” at risk: Population-driven sprawl threatens the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
From the Everglades to the Arctic plains, population growth and associated development threaten America’s protected areas. A recent study from NumbersUSA, Greater Yellowstone: An Ecosystem at Risk, documents this for the United States’ flagship national park. By Leon Kolankiewicz and Rob Harding Rampant development and a surging human population are imperiling what has been dubbed…
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The Need For More Wilderness Preservation
In a picture essay with stunning photos from all around the United States, ecologist and author George Wuerthner highlights how valuable wilderness preservation is for both wildlife and human societies. by George Wuerthner Big W, or designated wilderness as prescribed under the 1964 Wilderness Act, is one of the most biocentric pieces of legislation ever…
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Reflections on the 2024 Nobel prize in economic sciences: What is prosperity and how did it come about?
How did modern prosperity come about, and why did it happen in some countries much more than others? The winners of the 2024 Nobel prize in economics argue social institutions play a vital role. But what about demography, science and nature? By Frank Götmark Recently, the ‘Sveriges Riksbank’ Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of…
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Court ruling could lead to an environmental impact statement on US immigration policy
United States law requires that important federal policies and projects undergo environmental impact statements. While immigration policy has never been subjected to such an analysis, that might be about to change, thanks to a recent court ruling. by Philip Cafaro The U.S. National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) of 1969 mandates that any federal policy or…
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A primer on economic growth and biodiversity for COP16
Many readers will be familiar with the good work of CASSE: the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy. Here its executive director reminds us of the need to end growth if we hope to preserve biodiversity, a recurring theme at TOP (see here, here and here). by Brian Czech With the core…
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Meet the Nigerian Teacher Who Advocates for Family Planning
Coming from a family of seven children, Chidera Benoit knows better than anyone how challenging it is to grow up in a big family in Nigeria and achieve a good living standard. Convinced that Nigerian women and men should be free to decide their family size, this young and motivated teacher and Executive Director of…
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Why Modern Monetary Theory is good news for population policy
Why do governments pursue pronatalist policies and mass immigration in the face of majority voter opposition and the environmental crisis? The answer lies in blinkered, growthist economic ideologies linked to mainstream macroeconomics that predominantly benefit the rich and powerful. by Stephen Williams A relatively new macroeconomics – modern monetary theory (MMT) – has strong evidentiary…
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Biodiversity and the roles of human population and consumption: a debate
It is the rich minority’s consumption that mainly affects the status of the Earth’s life support system, according to a response in Svenska Dagbladet by David Collste at Stockholm Resilience Center and Jennifer Hinton at the University of Lund to an Op-ed by Malte Andersson and Frank Götmark. But will the poor majority consent to…
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Earth’s nature is being ravaged by population growth
Humanity’s rapid expansion leads to environmental destruction, starvation and ravaged biodiversity. Population growth needs to be ended as soon as possible for sustainability. By Malte Andersson and Frank Götmark Published 2024-01-02 in Svenska Dagbladet, morning newspaper in Sweden (translated by TOP) In 1800, the world’s population was 1 billion, but in 2022 we exceeded 8…
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Can nature-based tourism offer additional protection of wildlife in developing countries with strong population growth?
Recently, a TOP blog emphasized the importance of addressing luxurious overconsumption, including the hypocrisy of rich people wanting to be seen as environmentally friendly. Is nature-based tourism merely pandering to this hypocrisy, or can sites with nature-based tourism or ecotourism be beneficial for wildlife in developing countries with increasing populations? By Oskar Lindvall and the…
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Ecological Footprint and Sustainable Population
With humanity currently in overshoot, societal changes must be enacted to return to sustainable levels. While either a country’s ecological footprint or population size could be altered to achieve the necessary level, combined efforts on both fronts would be most effective. By Denis Garnier, president of Démographie Responsable A sustainable population corresponds to the total…
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How to Fix the Planet, the Easy Way
To avoid disastrous deterioration of Earth’s climate and biosphere, humanity has to reduce its demands on nature. Fewer births and a falling population is no quick fix, but compared with voluntary austerity, it has many more up-sides than down-sides. by Jon Austen Scientists are reporting that there is an existential threat to life on Earth.…
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How environmental professionals acknowledge overpopulation – and then ignore it
We can have an environmentalism that ignores the fundamental causes of environmental problems, including lucrative careers treating overshoot’s many symptoms. Just not a successful environmentalism. by Leon Kolankiewicz Veteran population campaigners like me have long lamented the fact that at both the national and international scales, the environmental establishment (Big Green) and climate activists alike…
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Delusional population projections lead us sleepwalking into catastrophe
Recent United Nations population projections paint a comforting picture of immanent population stabilization. But what if they are wrong? Global population growth does not appear to be slowing as quickly as UN demographers have predicted, making widespread famines and run-away climate change more likely in the coming decades. By Jane O’Sullivan The Elon Musks of…
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Procreation and Consumption in the Real World
The cause of global environmental decline is clear: an immense and rapidly growing human economy. In response, environmentalists should advocate policies leading to fewer people and lower per capita consumption, not one instead of the other. Addressing both provides our best hope of creating sustainable societies and preserving Earth’s remaining biodiversity. by Philip Cafaro There…
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Walk the talk: the world needs more Gretas and fewer Leonardos
People in rich countries must rein in their consumption, but the hypocrisy of high-profile environment advocates makes them poor role models, argues Gaia Baracetti. By Gaia Baracetti This is an overpopulation blog, but its authors have made it clear that overconsumption is a problem too, and that the two are, as it is often said,…
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Big Australia needs rethink on World Population Day 2023
Another UN World Population Day passed with the UN focussing on anything but population growth. Australia’s population is growing faster than most, with sustainability not on the government’s radar, as Stephen Williams laments. By Stephen Williams I don’t pay much attention to awareness days, but I make an exception for World Population Day, first observed…
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Population’s effects on biodiversity: evidence from recent scientific literature
A lot of great scientific work has been done lately on population and biodiversity, spanning all areas of the globe. A new study from TOP describes this work and summarizes its main lessons. by The Overpopulation Project Earlier this year, Phil, Pernilla and Frank released A Bibliography of Recent Scientific Work on Population and Biodiversity…
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Wildlife in decline: the impact of human population growth and consumption
In a short film about wildlife loss, Nastaran Rahnama takes a broad approach, investigating food sold in the UK, its production far away, and the links to population growth and declining large mammals. By Nastaran Rahnama In my lifetime including living in Iran, England, and traveling, I noticed that the natural world and the sound…
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Why Overpopulation Should Be a Women’s Issue
The costs of overpopulation and lack of family planning access fall disproportionately on women. Securing women’s rights and ecological sustainability depend on a clear-eyed understanding of this. This raises the question of why there are not more women who are actively involved in the issue of human overpopulation. By Karen Shragg and Madeline Weld An observation…
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The Population Factor back by popular demand
In 2020 and 2021, I recorded two seasons of the TV show The Population Factor. Each episode features in-depth conversations focused on a particular aspect of the population/environment connection. Check out seasons one (hour-long episodes) and two (half-hour episodes), all available for free streaming at the links below. by Phil Cafaro Season 1 Episode 1.…
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To Advance Humanity and Save Nature We Need a Common Agenda
Problems caused by rapid population growth, environmental degradation and climate disruption are harming human welfare and the natural world. These problems are largely addressed separately, with little common understanding or integration of efforts. Our recent paper, Advancing the Welfare of People and the Planet with a Common Agenda for Reproductive Justice, Population, and the Environment,…
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Adversity for Biodiversity: A Reflection on My Experience at COP15
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework1 adopted in December 2022 by representatives of most of the world’s national governments is inadequate to halt and reverse the disturbing loss of biodiversity globally. Concerted efforts to increase the new Framework’s ambition were dismissed and ultimately ignored. Human overshoot – the collective impacts of more than eight billion people…
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More population neglect from the United Nations
The UN’s latest State of the World Population 2023 report deepens its denouncement of population concerns. While it commendably emphasizes women’s reproductive rights, it neglects the role an excessive and growing population plays in driving global ecological degradation and overlooks the many ways overpopulation can undermine poor people’s rights to safety and security. by Jan…
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A British perspective on population and biodiversity
A distinguished scientist’s new book makes the case that more people means less wildlife, in the United Kingdom and globally. This excellent offering is a must-read for anyone interested in the connection between human numbers and biodiversity protection. by Phil Cafaro For Trevor Beebe, the issue of people crowding out other species surfaced early in…
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Do three Pacific islands provide lessons for achieving a sustainable human population?
These islands were more-or-less isolated, microcosms that perhaps tell us what is going to happen with the global population. Anthropological accounts also describe remarkable forms of birth control. Do they tell us anything about how to achieve sustainable populations today? By Frank Götmark Easter Island, and historical background One of the most debated questions…
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Cultured meat and the lifeless world
By attempting to avoid animal suffering, are we depriving them of life? Is lab-cultured ‘meat’ enlightened environmentalism, or just another attempt to cheat limits to growth, divorcing us further from the natural world? Gaia Baracetti reflects on her sheep, her fields, food culture and the moral pitfalls of seductive new technologies. by Gaia Baracetti Many…
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Global population has hit 8 billion
The world population has hit 8 billion, a milestone which has been widely discussed in the media. In this article originally published by The Hill, William Ryerson of the Population Media Center and Kathleen Mogelgaard of the Population Institute reflect on the economic and environmental effects of this milestone. By William Ryerson and Kathleen Mogelgaard…
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Smaller human populations are neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for biodiversity conservation
That’s the title of a paper just published in Biological Conservation in response to TOP’s recent paper on population and biodiversity loss in that journal. Are its authors right? by The Overpopulation Project In one sense, Alice Hughes and company clearly are correct. Efforts to protect wild nature are ongoing throughout the world, and for…
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Boiling Frogs
Human population growth has exploded during the last century, decimating wildlife and devastating ecosystems. Without honest conversations about overpopulation, continued growth will likely condemn most wild animals to extinction and leave us with a much poorer planet By Brad Meiklejohn “Fewer people, more wild animals. Right now that feels like coming back from a time…
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Linking population growth and biodiversity loss: a new bibliography
Excessive and growing human numbers are a leading cause of decreasing biodiversity in many parts of the world. In researching a paper on this topic last year, we became aware of the large amount of good scientific work recently published on it. In an effort to spur more such work, we are publishing an annotated…
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Eight Billion – Our Greatest Mistake
According to the United Nations Population Fund, reaching a global human population of 8 billion is an achievement to be celebrated. In “a world of infinite possibilities,” they state, “imagine the boundless paths 8 billion can take.” Rather than taking refuge in irresponsible fantasies, it’s time our bloated societies reckoned honesty with demographic reality. By…
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The moral imperative of depopulation
Anthropocentrism is preventing humanity from dealing with the world’s cascading environmental crises. Stephen Williams reviews the work of Catholic historian Paul Collins who argues depopulation is an urgent moral imperative. By Stephen Williams A new discussion paper on population ethics written by Catholic historian Paul Collins is as radical as it is worthy. The paper…
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Recent blog posts
- The Most Appropriate Response to Falling Birthrates? Embrace Them
- New paper defends a pragmatic definition of overpopulation
- Because everyone else is (not) doing it: How social pressures may be the key to understand family size preferences
- The Psychology of our Strange Overpopulation Taboo
- Goodbye Paul Ehrlich
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