Letters to the Editor, September 2025
Published: September 8, 2025
It saddens me deeply to see the killing of USAID and weakening of WHO, the Peace Corps, and many other vital agencies, as well as the damaging of careers of dedicated humanitarians.
I had the pleasure of helping to start rural potable water and sanitation programs in Thailand (1959–66). Working for USAID, we helped to initiate Thailand’s first rural family planning program, as well as Pakistan’s (1966–69). Rural people were delighted to learn how to space their pregnancies and to obtain quality primary care services in those two nations and in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, others were preventing starvation, strengthening educational systems, protecting rights of women and children, and much more.
Readers, please do what you can to help restore those efforts.
Barry Karlin, Dr. of Public Health
I am hopeful that all regions of the world besides sub-Saharan Africa will reach zero population growth by 2050. And all sub-Saharan Africa needs to get there as well is the empowerment of women and cost-free availability of contraceptive supplies.
Cheers, and keep up hope!
Gary Koop
In his letter to the editor in the June issue, Konrad Kummli wondered if any other supporters shared his view that effective population mitigation must include speaking to the religious beliefs that underpin the attitudes of many regarding population stabilization. He implies that by avoiding this issue, the ability of the organization to meet its mission is weakened.
While I share his atheism, I also applaud the efforts of Population Connection to present truthful data and rational analysis about Earth’s population.
It took some serious internal debate for me to finally give up the indoctrination of my youth and early adulthood and declare my atheism. At least a decade before that realization, I had already decided only to replace myself in the world. My wife had a daughter by her previous marriage, and my vasectomy after our son was born assured that we would only replace ourselves. These decisions did not require a total abandonment of our church-based community. We continued to attend church services, sing in the choir, and recite the Creed, but we rejected any doctrinaire prohibition of family planning by any means. We did not need to throw the baby out with the bath water, as the saying goes.
Eventually, I came to realize that I could not reconcile the beliefs I recited from the Apostles’ Creed, and embraced atheism. It is clear to me now that I was a humanist long before I admitted to being an atheist.
I agree with Mr. Kummli that a discussion of the issue of religion in natalism would be a worthwhile pursuit for your readership as there likely are many who are struggling with the competing realities of religious beliefs/directives and the information available in our modern world.
Russell M. Hostetler, MD
Thank you for the work you do to try to bring the issue of overpopulation to the attention of the overall population.
I have been an advocate of birth control since my early 20s, when I wrote a thesis for my third-year sociology class at Arizona State University in Tempe. I brought one son into this chaotic system we call capitalism, who has made a living in California with his music school.
I wish you and your staff well.
Merritt Jannsen
I could cheer! Mr. Kummli has it exactly right: All the world’s conflicts stem from different religious beliefs. I’m glad to know I’m not alone in thinking this.
How I would love for some powerful world leaders to come out and say to audiences of millions that it is man who creates gods — and powerful men reduced that to one god. And all in the name (originally) of ignorance, then with it the newfound realization that using it gave them power!
Konrad, you aren’t alone. If I were one who prayed, I’d pray that Pope Leo is the one who finally breaks the stranglehold of the Catholic Church.
Reproductive education is essential to curbing human population. Keep up your good work, Population Connection staff!
Sincerely (and happily childless),
Jan Feeler
I just finished reading your June 2025 newsletter. It was informative and inspiring, as always.
I appreciate so much all the work that you do here in the US and around the world. I have been an ardent supporter ever since I first discovered ZPG, and I will be a supporter for life.
Stephanie Erickson