Letters to the Editor, June 2026
Published: June 8, 2026
I just read the March 2026 issue of Population Connection and have to give a big congratulations to the staff that put this issue together. In this age of terrible reporting by the mass media, and many of us fighting depressing thoughts daily, this was one of the most hopeful, uplifting issues of any magazine I have read for months, if not years.
Phil Sickles
The Earth’s resources are being depleted for lumber and cement to build more houses and highways, and land is being cleared of natural habitat to make room for more humans. Yet, religious zealots deny any human caused environmental damage is happening and believe the more babies the better.
When the Bible was written, large families were necessary for survival. There were no labor saving machines, nursing homes, or social welfare programs to care for people in old age. Fast forward to today: The world can get along well with smaller families.
I used to be a right-wing religious Republican until I gradually came to see the group’s hypocrisy, inconsistency, and absolute refusal to accept evidence-based reality.
Herman Lenz
Thank you for sharing the March 2026 issue of your magazine. I found the feature on the relationship between religion, fertility, and women’s rights both insightful and highly relevant to the realities faced in many settings. In pastoralist communities like those of the Maasai in Tanzania, cultural beliefs and traditional systems significantly influence family size, gender roles, and access to reproductive health services. Strengthening women’s education, autonomy, and community awareness is therefore essential not only for improving livelihoods but also for advancing environmental sustainability and population resilience.
Thank you for your valuable work and for keeping us informed and inspired.
Supeyo Mondoi Serenyi, Programs Manager
Empowerment and Progress Organization, Tanzania
I want to thank John Seager and all the article authors for the wonderful March edition of Population Connection magazine and the excellent article on religion and fertility by Kirsten Stade. It’s just a wonderful, wonderful magazine. It brings us up to date on all the key issues on overpopulation and all the disastrous things that are happening with the Trump administration, and what we can do. It’s a source of inspiration and makes me work even harder on the issues. In this terribly difficult time when democracy is being threatened at every level, Population Connection is meeting the challenge in a magnificent way.
Ed Levering
Just wanted to drop you a note to say that your President’s Note in the March issue was awesome. You hit so many points so well! Keep up the exceptional work!
John Pulver
I remembered Zero Population Growth from when I was a child in the ’60s and the need to control population growth was a widely accepted conclusion. I was pleased to find the familiar group from my younger days is still active as Population Connection. I immediately became a supporter. As I become more familiar with the organization, I am ever more pleased with its direction.
I was especially grateful for the March issue’s feature article, “Religion and Fertility: A Connection Rooted in Patriarchy.” I recently published a book, Cutting Through the Babble, under the pen name Herbert Laffey. I wanted to introduce Population Connection to this potentially valuable resource for countering those who would utilize religion as a weapon for pronatalism, authoritarianism, or patriarchy.
Gary Martinez
Thank you for your revealing articles on how religion subjugates women and treats them merely as baby making machines. At the Roman Catholic weddings that I have attended, the priests still encourage the couples to increase and multiply. The Church seems totally oblivious to the dire problems overpopulation is causing.
George J. Saunders
As a longtime supporter of Population Connection, I thank you for bringing us so many stimulating issues of Population Connection magazine. I noted that the “In the News” section of the March issue highlighted a recent UN report that identifies overpopulation and overconsumption as “fundamental drivers of our planetary crises.” While this may not be news to any Population Connection supporter, it is nice to see the UN acknowledge it.
Fred Leonard
Please submit letters for consideration to mstarkey@populationconnection.org.