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Too many people consuming too much
The views and opinions expressed in guest blog posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Overpopulation Project.
The Overpopulation Project has been ranked as one of the 10 best demography blogs of 2025 by FeedSpot. Thank you to all our readers for engaging with and sharing our work. For researchers working on historical population issues and interested lay persons, the Carl Wahren papers are a gold mine. See examples below, described by…
The Dutch government has collapsed twice in succession because of disagreements about immigration policy. Now the leader of the party that won the last elections by a landslide has pulled out of the ruling coalition. Why is immigration such a big issue in The Netherlands? By Jan van Weeren Two years ago, the Dutch government…
Whether you see a peak and decline of world population as a good thing or a bad thing, lots of people are speculating that it is imminent. Can we believe them? Jane O’Sullivan According to the most recent United Nations projections, the world population will peak sixty years from now at around 10.3 billion. Lately,…
As ecosystems deteriorate and wealth inequality deepens, the impact of overpopulation on the natural world is well-documented—but its effects on democracy, social cohesion, and psychological well-being remain largely unexplored. This essay examines how our bloated, hyper-complex societies have outgrown their ability to meet individual needs, leading to a breakdown in political and social structures. By…
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.…
Creating economies that do not devastate the natural world on which they depend is the economic challenge of the 21st century. An intriguing new book from Theodore Lianos explores different answers regarding what that might look like. by Anastasia Pseiridis Capitalism has fuelled unprecedented economic growth over the last three centuries. The emblematic phrase ‘grow…
Some see a recent upsurge of fascism, or a unique malevolence in the current President. The reality is less dramatic: the continued erosion of American institutions, a long-term trend furthered by bankrupt ideologies. by Philip Cafaro A few months ago in this space, I wrote that Donald Trump’s obvious character flaws disqualified him as a…
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…
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 –…