Member Profile: John Dwyer

We are fortunate to have 40,000 members who care deeply about protecting the planet and improving the well-being of current and future generations of people around the world. Our members are also unfailingly committed to the conservation of the rest of Earth’s millions of species, which are crucial to functioning ecosystems. We are pleased to introduce you to one such member below.

John Dwyer’s life is a testament to his fascination with the universe and our planet, as well as his dedication to finding ways for humans to coexist sustainably with nature. Living in Colorado offers John the opportunity to pursue his outdoor interests, including hiking, pickleball, birding, and photography. Indoors, he spends his free time reading, watching movies, and playing his piano and guitar.

John enlisted in the Marines in 1966 when he was 17. In 1969, he went to Vietnam and saw firsthand the damage to that beautiful country and culture that was caused by the war. That was when he first became interested in ecology and conservation and decided to pursue a career that would help protect the planet.

John’s interest in sustainability continued when he enrolled in a human ecology course at Red Rocks Community College in Denver in 1972, where he gained insight into how population growth drives many environmental challenges. He went on to earn a BS in Watershed Science from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Now retired, John had a distinguished career as a hydrologist and civil engineer, beginning at the US Forest Service and then transitioning to private consulting firms.

John supports Population Connection’s solutions to achieve population stabilization, including educating young people about the trajectory of global population growth and prioritizing women’s health worldwide — starting with improving access to voluntary family planning options. He also recognizes the importance of living a simpler, less consumer-driven lifestyle to mitigate the environmental pressures of a growing world population. John says:

“We’ve reached a critical point in human history. If population growth continues on its present course, many plant and animal species will become extinct. The chance for a happy and fulfilling life will become much more difficult for many people, and climate change will have catastrophic consequences. We are already seeing this in the form of more frequent and intense floods, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes.”

What resonates most with John about Population Connection is our commitment to helping people live more consciously and sustainably. He says:

“Your emphasis on educating young people about the impacts of population growth, your efforts to improve access to birth control education and resources, and your focus on improving women’s health worldwide are all crucial. To me, these are the most important issues of our time.”

To encourage other Population Connection members to get more involved, John emphasizes the issue’s urgency. “Time is short,” he says.

“If we don’t act now to address the problems caused by excessive population growth, they’ll become increasingly difficult to solve.”

John hopes to raise people’s awareness of population challenges through his activism. He stays involved by making financial contributions and participating in membership activities — he even placed second in our 2023 Summer Photo Contest with his beautiful picture of a family of great blue herons!

We are incredibly grateful to have such a passionate member dedicated to protecting our planet. If you’re as committed to achieving global population stabilization as John, we encourage you to contact us at engage@popconnect.org or to tune in for an upcoming virtual event!