The Overpopulation Project
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Too many people consuming too much
Category: Population density
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Rethinking Population Shrinkage in the Nordic Countries
Population degrowth is a necessity to achieve a sustainable world. A new policy brief for the Nordic countries urges policymakers to rethink their commitment to continued growth and instead embrace the reality of demographic degrowth. By Pernilla Hansson Many countries around the globe are set to experience population decrease, with several dozen already doing so.…
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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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Songs about population and the environment – what’s your favorite?
Music is a rich source of inspiration for those of us who want to end population growth and improve environmental conditions. TOP looks at some classic hits and new songs recently sent to us and asks for more. By The Overpopulation Project A few weeks ago, two readers contacted us regarding their own songs. Kelvin…
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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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The Catalyst of Overpopulation in the Gaza Conflict
Mountains of work have analysed the roots of the conflict in Gaza, but all have missed the catalyst of increasing population. By Jon Austen and Jane O’Sullivan The Israel-Palestine conflict has been ongoing for 75 years. The recent eruption of violence is a tragedy but not surprising. Neither side is going to back down, both…
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Earth Overshoot Day reminds us how far we are from sustainability
On 2 August, humanity will have used up its quota of renewable resources for 2023, according to Ecological Footprint analyses. But this barely scratches the surface of understanding the overshoot predicament we now face. By Jane O’Sullivan Earth Overshoot Day falls on 2 August this year. This is the day on which, according to the…
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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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Fewer people make for a great day of skiing
As we transition to spring skiing conditions in Colorado, the crowds thin out and the skiing experience improves despite the stickier snow. A day on the slopes got me wondering – what other benefits might await societies as their populations decrease? by Philip Cafaro Yesterday I went downhill skiing in Winter Park, Colorado – a…
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A new approach for defining optimum population size
The concept of optimum population size is nothing new, but in recent decades the methodology used to calculate it has seen little development. In a recently published book, We Zijn Met Te Veel (Dutch for We Are Too Many), a new approach is proposed for calculating optimum population size. by Fons Jena In the available literature…
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Earth Wars: Nature Strikes Back
The current pandemic has had many severe consequences, but it has also acted as a reminder of the need for international cooperation when facing global challenges. Continued environmental destruction will likely increase the risk for future pandemics. Population growth is one of the main driving factors of the continued encroachment into nature and needs to…
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Earth overshoot day and population
Too many people consuming too many resources and generating too much waste: that’s why humanity keeps pushing deeper into ecological overshoot. On Earth Overshoot Day, let’s not forget the P factor. by Lucia Tamburino & Philip Cafaro Every year on Earth Overshoot Day, a table like the one below makes the rounds, showing the number…
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Lessons from a global pandemic
Covid-19 continues to take a great toll on societies around the world. As we struggle to respond appropriately, our societies can emerge ecologically and socially stronger—provided we learn the important lessons this tragedy has to teach us. by Kelvin Thomson In Australia, and I suspect in many other countries as well, there are three key…
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Overshoot day: the other side of the coin
Every year on Earth Overshoot Day, a table becomes very popular, showing the number of Earths needed to be ecologically sustainable if all the people in the world had the same ecological footprint as the average citizens of various countries. This is computed by fixing the world population at the current value and varying the…
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A lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic on the perils of density
In recent years, some environmentalists have argued that increasing population density is the key to creating sustainable societies. COVID-19 suggests they are mistaken. When increasing density becomes a substitute for setting limits to human numbers and demands on nature, environmental conditions deteriorate. And as usual, poor people and other species wind up paying the price.…
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High human population density eliminates the positive effect of forest protection in a tropical biodiversity hotspot
By Patrícia Dérer Sri Lanka and the Indian Western Ghats (also known as Sahyadri Mountain Range) make up one of 36 Biodiversity Hotspots. These areas are the Earth’s most biologically rich—yet threatened—terrestrial regions; they were designated in order to preserve the most species. The Western Ghats belong to the eight “hottest hotspots” based on their…
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