The Overpopulation Project
TOP – Research and Outreach
Too many people consuming too much
Tag: overpopulation
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Degrowth
Degrowth is a relatively new word, and although there are different interpretations, one thing seems certain: sustainability cannot be reached without embracing degrowth. by Richard Grossman MD Recently I wrote about 2 words that have negative implications to many people, “population” and “overpopulation”. I’m now introducing a word that will be new to many people…
13 comments on Degrowth -
Thirsty for Growth: How Arizona is Trading Water for Sprawl
Touted as a conservation success story, new legislation in Arizona is actually a ploy to resume unsustainable development in areas that are running out of water. It foolishly seeks to override hard physical limits with paper water credits, displacing wildlife and farmland in service to sprawl. by Phil Cafaro In June 2025, the Arizona Department…
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Growth Addiction and Water in the American Southwest
GrowthBusters is a terrific podcast dealing with the environmental costs of growth, hosted by Dave and Stephanie Gardner. On their latest episode, river activist Gary Wockner talks about the state of the Colorado River and the growth obsession that keeps cities and states in the southwestern U.S. from responding rationally to increasing water scarcity. by…
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For the sake of food security, we must address population numbers
On World Population Day, Jenny Goldie reminds us that food is humanity’s most basic and most vulnerable necessity, but reducing the number of mouths to feed remains off the food security agenda. by Jenny Goldie As a child, the thought of other children going to bed hungry upset me. Later, I began university studies in…
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The Demographic Struggle Over International Migration
A large percentage of people want to emigrate to another country, but many people in destination countries are opposed to accepting large numbers of immigrants. International migration is a highly difficult issue with no simple solution. by Joseph Chamie Approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world’s population, wish to leave their country permanently,…
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The Carl Wahren papers are now available at Sweden’s National Archives
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…
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The imminence (or otherwise) of depopulation
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,…
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The Planet Cannot Hold the Weight of 8.2 billion Narratives. Here’s Why…
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…
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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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Toward sustainable economies
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…
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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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A new definition of global overpopulation, explained and applied
Some environmentalists believe current environmental problems can be addressed successfully without reducing human numbers, while others disagree. Which side is right? Our new working paper tries to get to the bottom of the matter. by Philip Cafaro Recent years have brought a cascade of bad environmental news from around the world: melting glaciers and acidifying…
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To grow or not to grow
All around the world, politicians, business leaders, academics and many members of the general public worship at the shrine of ‘growth’. They are profoundly and dangerously wrong. by Sandy Irvine, eco-activist from England To grow or not to grow is the really big issue of our times. Most problems boil down to excess growth –…
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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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“America Needs More People”
That’s according to the editorial board of the New York Times, arguing for expanding immigration into the United States. Based on comments, most of their subscribers disagree. by Philip Cafaro By insisting that enforcing immigration limits is immoral, liberals in the U.S. have twice helped elect Donald Trump President. Facing a second Trump administration, some…
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TOP’s year in review
We started the Overpopulation Project seven years ago to spur honest discussion about population issues among scientists and scholars, environmentalists and the general public. With your support and encouragement, we continue to pursue that mission. by Frank, Jane, Phil and Pernilla In 2024 the human economy, already much too big for the Earth, grew even…
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Joseph Speidel on Carl Wahren and the early days of family planning
Recent years have seen a concerted effort to rewrite post-war family planning efforts as one big racist, sexist, imperialist conspiracy. It is now important, as the last people who worked on these campaigns pass from the scene, to reflect honestly yet fairly on their work. Here Céline Delacroix, a senior fellow with the Population Institute,…
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No sustainable paradigm is attainable without gradual population reduction
The Jus Semper Global Alliance is dedicated to building a better world based on democracy, sustainability and fairly sharing the world’s wealth. Its website gathers valuable material on a full range of issues regarding economic, social and ecological justice. As its founder and executive director reminds us here, “no matter how efficient and fair the…
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Trump or Harris: the implications for U.S. immigration policy
Who would you choose if you could vote in the upcoming U.S. presidential election? Who Americans choose has important implications for people around the world. Unfortunately, neither major party candidate is committed to ending U.S. population growth or creating an environmentally sustainable society. by Philip Cafaro Once every four years, I attend to my civic…
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‘Climate refugees’ and the question of limiting immigration: a response to Migration in Hotter Times
A recent discussion paper on climate refugees, Migration in Hotter Times: Humanity at Risk, does much to muddy the water without presenting practical solutions. by Jane O’Sullivan and Philip Cafaro Immigration is a deeply divisive topic, even among population activists. It is not uncommon to have a strong commitment to global population stabilisation while believing…
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Losing Our Minds
In the 1970’s the leading intellectuals in the United States were concerned about overpopulation. Fifty years later, the best and brightest minds in America now think we are running out of people. What the hell is going on? by Brad Meiklejohn “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” –…
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UN World Population Day 2024 focuses on anything but world population
This year for World Population Day, the United Nations champions data collection, because ‘everyone counts’. What they choose not to measure is more telling. by Jane O’Sullivan This World Population Day, we see the UNFPA celebrating 30 years of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. Yes, it’s been 30 years…
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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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Green parties lose big in EU parliamentary elections by ignoring the relationship between immigration and environmental damage
Green and left-wing parties lost ground in recent elections to the European Union Parliament, in part by neglecting and even denying the relationship between population growth by immigration and environmental stress. They could have used the topic to their advantage, but failed to do so. Instead it became the flagship issue of the right. By…
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Time to vote!
Immigration is proving to be a hot topic in the run up to EU parliamentary elections. While the focus has been on immigration’s cultural and social effects, changes in immigration policy could also impact future population numbers across Europe. This has consequences for citizens, the environment and ecosystems. by Philip Cafaro According to the European…
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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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Overpopulation Is Still a Huge Problem: An Interview with Jane O’Sullivan
Despite reports that world population is peaking and fertility rates dropping, the human population is still growing at an unrelenting and unsustainable pace. In an interview by Richard Heinberg, Jane O’Sullivan sets the record straight. By Richard Heinberg, originally published by Resilience.org In February, I interviewed biochemist Chris Bystroff, whose peer-reviewed analysis suggests that world…
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Can we engineer our way out of the climate crisis?
Many scientists excited to develop new geoengineering technologies say yes, as do capitalists who stand to profit by continuing with business as usual. But most of the commoners who will have to live with the messes left behind when technocrats fail say a resounding no. by Philip Cafaro Sunday’s New York Times included a lengthy…
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Vale Dan Carrigan
Daniel Lee Carrigan, founder of the GAIA Earth-Balance Foundation, died on 4 March 2024 after a long struggle with heart disease. We gratefully commemorate his contribution to population and sustainability efforts. by Jane O’Sullivan Like a shooting star, Dan Carrigan’s dynamic energy lit up the population-sustainability world for a brief few years. In its wake,…
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Carbon emissions and the desperate search for culprits
Are rich people with their private jets the main cause of climate change? Or are the hundreds of millions joining the middle class in China and India? Or maybe large families of poor farmers in the tropics deforesting to make room for low-productive agriculture? This blog questions the search for specific culprits, which is often…
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A new sustainability initiative of the Swiss People’s Party
While population growth lies at the root of many environmental problems, concerned citizens often feel disempowered from addressing it. A popular initiative in Switzerland may provide a blueprint for activists in other developed countries. by Roland Schmutz After Swiss voters narrowly rejected joining the European Economic Area in 1992, the European Union and Switzerland began…
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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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Pronatalism on the Rise to Counter Growing Push for Gender Equality
Pronatalists try to present their ideology as promoting the security of the family, but it is linked to the far-right agenda, uses falsified data to prove their points, and counteracts gender equality. By Nandita Bajaj There’s an insidious new tactic emerging for selling right-wing ideology to wider audiences, evident in [the September 2023] Budapest Demographic…
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No need to hold COP 29: Just follow Japan’s lead!
Japan has accomplished the difficult task of reducing their emissions, mainly through its decreasing population. by Terry Spahr COP 28, the United Nations’ annual climate summit is happening right now in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. These climate conferences have been taking place since 1995 and as Axios reported, each and every year, save for temporary recessions,…
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The United Nations Population Fund Promotes Population Denial
Humanity heading for 9 billion and the UN’s chief population organization says forget about numbers. What’s going on? by Madeline Weld November 15, 2022. That’s the day the world population reached 8 billion, according to the UNFPA, the United Nations organization whose original raison d’être was to help end population growth. The UNFPA (reflecting its…
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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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