In the News, December 2024

WWF issues dire warning on state of nature

The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) latest Living Planet Report, published in October, estimates that vertebrate wildlife populations shrank by an average of 73% between 1970 and 2020 — an increase from the 69% drop between 1970 and 2018 reported in the 2022 edition.

As in previous reports, habitat loss is identified as the most important driver of wildlife decline, which in turn is primarily driven by conversion of land to agriculture. The second most important driver is overexploitation of species (for food, commercial purposes, etc.). Other major threats include invasive species and disease, climate change, and pollution.

The authors warn that as a result of international climate and biodiversity agreements not being implemented, humanity is rapidly running out of time to avert catastrophic tipping points:

We have five years to place the world on a sustainable trajectory before negative feedbacks of combined nature degradation and climate change place us on the downhill slope of runaway tipping points. The risk of failure is real — and the consequences almost unthinkable.

Young Americans very concerned about the climate crisis

A survey of around 15,800 Americans aged 16–25 across all 50 states found that 85% of respondents are at least moderately worried about climate change and its impacts on people and the planet, while 58% are very or extremely worried. The survey results were published in The Lancet.

The degree of concern was positively correlated with the number of severe weather events the respondents reported to have experienced. A quarter of respondents (26%) reported that their feelings about climate change impaired their daily functioning, while just over half (52%) said that climate change is making them hesitant to have children of their own.

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) latest Emissions Gap Report, published in October, shows that governments’ existing climate commitments (their “Nationally Determined Contributions” or NDCs) put the world on course for a temperature increase of 2.6–3.1°C this century, which “would bring debilitating impacts to people, planet, and economies.” The report states that getting on track to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C requires cutting global emissions by 42% by 2030, and by 57% by 2035.

Abortion and infant mortality both up since Dobbs

A new analysis found that the average number of monthly abortions in the United States has increased, despite ongoing abortion bans in many states. The #WeCount report, by the Society for Family Planning, tracked the number of abortions during the 24 months following the Dobbs ruling on June 24, 2022, which overturned the constitutional right to abortion.

In the first six months of 2024, the monthly national abortion count averaged nearly 98,000, up from the 2023 monthly average of 88,000, and the 2022 monthly average of 81,400. For the majority of the 24 months following the Dobbs decision, 14 states had total abortion bans (Ohio’s was struck down in October, bringing the current count down to 13). The number of abortions during this period fell in only three states, however: Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The report shows that the decrease in in-person abortions in states with bans was more than made up for by people traveling out of state for abortion access, as well as by an increase in telehealth abortion services, aided by shield laws that provide legal protections to clinicians who offer abortion care to people in states with bans.

An independent study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, compared national monthly infant mortality rates following the Dobbs ruling against previous trends. The authors recorded as many as 247 more infant deaths per month than expected, with around 83% of those due to chromosomal and genetic anomalies.

The authors note that it’s important to consider the broader toll beyond increased infant deaths, including the mental health consequences of being forced to carry a fetus with a fatal condition to term.

Russia moves to censor childfree content

A bizarre bill aimed at increasing Russia’s birth rate has cleared its first hurdle in Russia’s parliament, gaining unanimous approval from the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly. If implemented, the new law would impose hefty fines on individuals, businesses, or entities who share content that is deemed to promote childfree lifestyles, while foreign nationals who create this type of content could be deported.

One of the bill’s authors, Elvira Aitkulova, said, “It’s an element of professional propaganda, part of a hybrid war aimed at population reduction.” A higher birth rate has long been a priority goal for President Vladimir Putin, who last year called on women to return to traditional roles and to have as many as eight children.

More funding needed for contraceptive research

A commentary by former Population Connection board chair J. Joseph Speidel and his colleagues, published in the journal Contraception, makes the case for increased investment in contraceptive technologies. The authors argue that current contraceptive options available in the US are not meeting all users’ needs, resulting in high rates of contraceptive failure, unintended pregnancies, and user dissatisfaction. The commentary points out that US contraceptive research and development (R&D) expenditures in 2022 totaled just $149 million, compared to the $250 billion spent on overall pharmacological R&D.

According to the authors, top priorities for contraceptive improvement should be fewer side effects, improved safety, affordability, and ease of use, all coupled with high effectiveness. The paper notes that the current contraceptive array has “limited suitability” for many underserved populations, including those who desire male methods.

Email Olivia: onater@popconnect.org