December 8, 2025 | Articles
On a long time-scale, exponential [population] shrinkage looks astonishingly fast. However, during the initial phase, which is when societies must grapple with the problem, the speed of change ought to be manageable. […] In a 41-country sample, a 70-year-old in 2022 had the same cognitive abilities as a 53-year-old had…...
Read MoreDecember 8, 2025 | Articles
Did you know that we host virtual events open to all Population Connection members and supporters every month of the year? Topics and guests vary — we may be celebrating Earth Day, discussing a nonfiction publication as part of our Page Turners book club, or featuring an expert from an…...
Read MoreDecember 8, 2025 | Articles
Send letters to the editor to Marian Starkey at marian@popconnect.org. Thank you for publishing Samuel Miller McDonald’s article about the “panic” over lower fertility rates. I’ve seen stories presenting declining fertility rates as a problem, and it makes me really angry. We should be rejoicing about declining fertility rates. We…...
Read MoreDecember 8, 2025 | Articles
The Volunteers Behind PopEd’s Success The Population Education (PopEd) program would not be what it is today without the hard work of our trainers. Since the formation of the Population Education Trainers Network (PETNet) in 1987, volunteers have been facilitating PopEd workshops with educators in their local communities, training thousands…...
Read MoreDecember 8, 2025 | Articles
Population Education lesson plans didn’t reach me in Maine when I was growing up. In fact, I don’t believe I had ever considered the size of the human population before 1999, when I was a senior in high school and the world reached the 6 billion milestone. When I was…...
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2025 | Articles
Another magazine issue marking the end of another season of absurd headlines about low birth rates and impending population collapse. A recent prompt for such stories has been the publication of a book by two University of Texas at Austin economists, Dean Spears and Michael Geruso. After the Spike: Population,…...
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2025 | Articles
New Population Connection survey: Americans are poorly informed about population sizes and trends Declining birth rates are all over the news. In June, we worked with polling firm YouGov on an online survey of 2,000 US adults to find out to what extent this is shaping public knowledge and perception…...
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2025 | Articles
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…...
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2025 | Articles
We are excited to announce the winners of our fourth annual Summer Photo Contest! Supporters from around the world submitted images capturing beautiful natural landscapes, fascinating creatures, and cultural curiosities that inspire their environmental stewardship. Thank you to all participants for sharing your stunning photographs that showcase the incredible beauty…...
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2025 | Articles
Trump to Destroy Contraceptives, Costing Lives Leading Democrats introduce bill to prevent destruction of contraceptives by Trump administration In early June, The Washington Post reported that the US had some $12 million in contraceptives and HIV prevention medication stuck in warehouses overseas that would be destroyed unless they could be…...
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