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Rapid population growth threatens the quality of life for people everywhere. 

The global population is projected to hit 8 billion by the end of 2022.

As a supporter of Population Connection, you’re helping raise awareness and educate others on the pressing issues our world is facing due to rapid population growth.

We are deeply grateful to you and appreciate your commitment to our mission!

There are 218 million women in the developing world who want to prevent pregnancy but have an unmet need for modern contraception

Up to 1 million species are threatened with extinction in the coming decades

One in ten people already lives below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day

 

Our encroachment into wildlife habitats is responsible for such catastrophes as the current global COVID-19 pandemic

Follow Our Monthly Progress!

November 2022

  • This November the global population reached 8 billion people. In response to the news, our senior staff were quick to submit opinion-editorials calling attention to the importance of increasing domestic and international investment in voluntary family planning as we reached the 8 billion mark. See our published op-ed featured in The San Diego Union-Tribune!
  • Our sister organization was busy energizing activists and mobilizing voters leading up to the midterm election. In order to stabilize the global population and provide people with the human right to bodily autonomy, it’s imperative we have representatives to protect access to reproductive health care and increase funding for international family planning programs. Read our Legislative Priorities Here. 
  • This month we had a handful of staff represent us at the International Conference on Family Planning, the world’s largest scientific conference on family planning and reproductive health. During the week-long conference, our team networked with organizations from around the world, sharing information on our advocacy work and participated in panel discussions with other experts in the field! Read a Complete Recap Here. 
  • In line with state curriculum standards, our PopEd Team wrapped up their middle school and high school curriculum updates. After thoughtful curation and review of effective learning strategies, the online curriculum is now available online for teachers to use in their classrooms. Find the latest lesson plans here. 

  • Population Education wrapped up their winter graduate course with nearly 30 students enrolled! The course Making the Population Connection focuses on teaching 6-12 educators how to make science and social studies education more engaging and fun for their students, the next generation of problem solvers. More details coming soon on their summer session.

  • Dates for our annual joint advocacy event with our sister organization Population Connection Action Fund, Capitol Hill Day was announced. Join us from March 16th to March 21st as we bring activists and advocates from across the country and around the world to talk about global reproductive health, environmental, and population issues. Stay tuned for speaker line-ups!

  • We hosted our first Page Turners meeting of the year with 65 members and supporters tuning in to discuss The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams.

  • Population Education’s World of 7 Billion video contest closed last month, receiving nearly 2500 submissions! Winners will be announced on May 10th, 2022. 

  • As part of our Population Studies for Higher Education, Senior Analyst Hannah Evans presented to ten college classes, educating the next generation of professionals to work toward cost-effective, rights-based solutions to climate change. 

  • We hosted our President and CEO John Seager for a virtual presentation. His talk, Glaring Emissions: Linking Rapid Population Growth and Climate Change had 114 supporters in attendance! For more information on upcoming presentations, you can visit our Virtual Events page.

  • Alongside our sister organization, Population Connection Action Fund, we hosted our annual advocacy conference, Capitol Hill Days. With reproductive rights increasingly under attack, our guest speakers helped refine our activists’ skills and advocacy knowledge so they can continue the fight! Find recordings of sessions and conference recap here. 

  • This month we kicked off our Demography Series, with over 80 supporters in attendance at the first session! Running from March to June, we’re hearing from our Senior Analyst Hannah Evans for monthly educational sessions exploring the various ways in which human population trends and dynamics affect global sustainable development and environmental change. More infomation on the Demography Series is available here.

  • In addition to new lesson plans, our Population Education team hosted two workshop sessions and an exhibit booth at the National Science Teachers Association in Houston. After two years of virtual networking, it was great to meet teachers face-to-face again and help shape the next generation of scholars to be population enthusiasts!

  • Population Education recently released new lesson plans that are a natural fit for teaching the SDGs. Together, we can continue the upward trajectory of SDG awareness and nudge the world forward on a path toward sustainability. Learn more about PopEd’s new curriculum here.

  • Our Population Studies for Higher Education Program held seven college presentations just this month! This program is an integral part of our mission by helping bring population studies back into the mainstream curriculum at colleges and universities.

  • We had another memorable year celebrating Earth Day with engaging webinars, a film screening, and a panel discussion! Overall we engaged with over 350 members and supporters to raise awareness about how rapid population growth impacts environmental sustainability.

  • Grappling with the leaked Supreme Court documents, we released a statement condemning this violation of human rights. Find more information here on how to contact Congress and demand the protection of reproductive rights.

  • Our World of 7 Billion contest winners has been announced! Now in its 11th year, this contest encourages students to take a deeper dive into the vast connections between population dynamics and so many of today’s pressing global challenges. We received over 2,600 video submissions from middle and high school students around the world! You can check out the winning videos here!

  • With the Roe v Wade decision on the horizon, our field team is gearing up to mobilize activists to fight louder than ever to protect abortion access in the US. Not only is reproductive health care an undeniable human right, but access to these services plays an essential role in alleviating rapid population growth. Stay updated on ways you can join the fight by visiting our sister organization’s website. 

  • Our spring Demography Series met for its third session, The Demographic Dividend. During the call, we were joined by 70 members and supporters to discuss how societies can harness the demographic dividend for socio-economic advancements by elevating the status of women and ensuring access to family planning services and educational opportunities. A recording of the session is available here!

  • This spring we hosted our virtual Demography Series! Hannah Evans, our Senior Analyst, hosted educational sessions once a month from March to June that explored the various ways in which human population trends and dynamics affect global sustainable development and environmental change. Throughout the series, we engaged with over 300 members and supporters eager to learn more about the key pillars of demography. 

  • After the disappointing decision on the Dobbs v Jackson case, our sister organization rapidly responded by hosting Dara Purvis for her presentation, What does a post-Roe world look like?. Over 40 supporters were in attendance, ready to take action against the devastating loss of the constitutional right to abortion. If you’re interested in rallying with other committed reproductive rights activists, find more information on actions you can take here!

  • At our latest Page Turners book club meeting we discussed Jennifer Sciubba’s timely read 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World. With the global population projected to reach 8 billion people by the end of this year, the 26 supporters that joined the call were eager to talk about the environmental, social, and economic implications of this milestone. 

  • This month we marked World Population Day with an engaging and informative webinar with Nandita Bajaj, Executive Director of Population Balance. Over 100 supporters tuned in to learn more about how the social pressures to have children have contributed to unsustainable, rapid population growth. The recording of the presentation is available here!

  • We’ve been hard at work updating our resources and writing new blog posts, LTEs, and Op-Eds after the UN’s new report projects humanity will reach the 8 billion milestone by the end of 2022. You can read more about our response to the announcement here. 

  • To honor our planet’s rich biodiversity and the precious natural resources we depend on, we partnered with the Center for Biological Diversity for our second annual Trivia Night! We had a handful of members join us for an hour of trivia questions covering family planning options, ecosystem services, and endangered species.

  • In mid-July, our PopEd team held a two-day PopEd Leadership Institute for 26 new trainers in Ashland, Massachusetts. Our participants came from 19 states and 2 Canadian provinces! They included K-12 teachers, university educators, and informal environmental educators. This was our first in-person Institute since summer 2019 (pre-pandemic). It was a fantastic group of people, all eager to get more involved representing PopEd in their local areas! Learn more about how we’re helping teachers prepare the next generation of global citizens to think critically about population dynamics here! 

  • The UN’s new report projects humanity will reach the eight billion milestone by this November. Population Education will be marking the milestone with new teacher resources this fall, including the launch of our World of 8 Billion student video contest. Check out the new World of 8 Billion site here! 

  • We hosted a presentation, Connecting the Dots Between Women’s Empowerment and Critical Biodiversity Protection with Sara Inés Lara, Founder and Executive Director of Women for Conservation (W4C). Over 50 members tuned in to learn more about W4C’s work empowering women around the world to protect endangered wildlife, safeguard critical habitats, and preserve natural resources. The presentation slides and answers from the Q&A are available here.  

  • Our Field team hosted a panel of medical professionals, lawyers, and humanitarians to speak on how their world looks Post-Roe. A handful of supporters tuned in for the discussion, Beyond Our Borders: How the Fall of Roe Impacts Sub-Saharan Africa, curious to learn more about how they can take action for reproductive rights. A recording of the discussion is available here. 

  • In our latest quarterly magazine issue, we unpack key findings from the new World Population Prospects 2022 with demographers, analysts, and public health experts.  Read the September issue here! 

  • In light of the UN’s latest population projections, our Communications staff have been hard at work reporting on the latest projections, designing new social media content, and writing blog posts and op-ed articles about the demographic milestone.

  • After nearly two years of virtual workshops, our Population Education team is finally back hosting in-person teacher workshops across the US! Last month our team joined educators in Ohio, South Carolina, and regions of Minnesota interested in integrating population studies into their curricula through creative, engaging PopEd activities.

  • We marked World Contraception Day with a presentation from Asonele Kotu, Founder of the digital platform FemConnect. During her presentation, we learned how Asonele’s tech startup is helping improve access to feminine health services to people in South Africa. A recording of the discussion is available here. 

  • In light of the UN’s latest population projections, our Communications Department has been hard at work reporting on the latest key takeaways, designing new social media content, and writing blog posts and op-ed articles about the demographic milestone. Find the latest resources covering the 8 billion mark, including an interactive session with our Comms Team here!

  • Our Population Studies for Higher Education Program has reached new audiences in several states including New York, North Carolina, Connecticut, Missouri, and Tennessee! This month our Senior Analyst Hannah Evans was invited to virtually present to young scholars on the intersections between population growth and environmental sustainability. Her work is immensely important in helping prepare the next generation of professionals to think critically about cost-effective, rights-based solutions—namely, voluntary family planning and girls’ education to address the climate crisis. Find more information about the Population Studies for Higher Education program here.  

  • The Population Education Team has been preparing to support teachers in the classroom with engaging new lesson plans and workshops to mark the latest demographic milestone. PopEd staff shared curricula plans and showcased the new World of 8 Billion website. You can watch a recording of their presentation here. 

  • We heard from youth innovators based in Nepal, and marked International Day of the Girl with Girl Up Initiative Uganda. Our speakers were eager to share how their organizations are supporting youth engagement, reproductive rights, and economic opportunities for young people in their communities. Recordings of their presentations are available here!

  • Our sister organization, Population Connection Action Fund is in full swing this election season! Our organizers have been hard at work, coordinating with campaigns in key regions across the country to get pro-choice candidates in office. With the fall of Roe earlier this year, it’s vital we have pro-choice representatives who support Americans’ access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including modern family planning and safe abortion. Learn more about our legislative priorities here.

Check Out Our Latest Publications!

Read More

Talking family planning in Thailand: ICFP 2022

From November 11-17, 2022, a delegation from Population Connection attended the International Conference on Family Planning, the world’s largest scientific conference on family planning and reproductive health. Around 3,500 people…

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Read More

Eight reasons to be concerned about our population reaching 8 billion

Our population has reached a major milestone today: 8 billion people. While many may see this as an occasion to celebrate, our large and growing population presents some serious challenges.…

Read More

September Magazine Issue

Mary Beth Weinberger, Population Connection board member and retired UN Population Division demographer, explains key findings from the new World Population Prospects 2022. Hannah Evans, Senior Analyst, discusses India’s projected position as world’s most populous country as of 2023 and explores work of Population Foundation India (PFI), a progressive NGO in New Delhi working to expand health and education to people across India. Melvine Ouyo, Population Connection board member and Founder and Executive Director of Hope for Kenya Slum Adolescents Initiative, writes about how the reversal of Roe v. Wade will have global consequences.

Read the Full Issue
Marie Stopes family planning clinic in Ghana

2022 Virtual Event Archive

Virtual events are an easy and accessible way for you to learn more about population issues, connect with Population Connection staff, and meet others interested in working together for a more sustainable future for our planet.

Since 2020, we’ve engaged with our supporters by hosting a variety of virtual events to stay up-to-date on issues relating to our work. We’ve heard presentations from speakers working in the fields of conservation, reproductive rights, public health, demography, and more! Visit our event archive to view recordings, presentation slides, and speaker bios from some of our recent events.

Event Archive Available Here
Read More

Dear Mr. Musk: You're wrong about population

Your work on electric cars and commitment to renewable energy are commendable, but you are deeply wrong about population. You’ve repeatedly expressed concern that our global population will “collapse” due…

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Exceeding 1.5°C of warming would trigger dangerous tipping points, study suggests

A new study reveals that human-caused climate change may have already triggered some catastrophic shifts in our planetary systems, and urges ambitious climate action to prevent escalating risks.    Earth’s…

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2021 At a Glance

3,000,000

Kids pointing at map

Young people inspired to think critically about our world’s population challenges via Population Education lesson plans

1,204

Capitol Building

Legislator connections by 389 advocates during our virtual Capitol Hill Days, a joint program with Population Connection Action Fund

1,300+

Earth Day Banner photo

Members and supporters who have RSVP’d or attended at least one virtual event

Check out our Year at a Glance page to learn more about all we accomplished in 2021. These achievements were made possible with your support!
2021 Highlights

  • PopEd set a new record this summer, presenting at over 150 AP Institutes for high school teachers. They are poised to reach 3 million students in the 2021/2022 school year!
  • Work to get more media attention for population dynamics led to a NY Times LTE, LTE in The Hill on World Population Day, and a spot on PBS “Great Decisions” that will air early next year.
  • Membership Relations hosted three virtual events and engaged with over 500 members and supporters to commemorate World Population Day and Earth Overshoot Day.
  • This year’s World of 7 Billion contest just launched. Last year Population Education received over 2,000 video submissions from students across 44 countries!
  • In early August, 30 teachers wrapped up Population Education’s summer grad course Making the Population Connection: Exploring the Human-Environmental Nexus in Today’s Middle and High School Classroom.
  • We had over 90 individuals tune in for one of the two Membership Relations events held this month. Events included a presentation with the Director of Gender & Social Inclusion at WWF.
  • Population Education’s biannual evaluation received high marks. Among experienced
    educators, 97% rated the online workshop materials as Excellent or Good.
  • For World Contraception Day and Safe Abortion Day, our field team organized sessions for their activists to contact members of congress.
  • Membership Relations hosted their third book club meeting on The Human Tide by Paul Morland. In addition, they hosted Dr. Andrew-Essien, Professor at the University of Calabar for her presentation Clash of Tempos: Making Sense of Ecological Balance Today for Tomorrow. 
  • This month Population Education hosted over 130 workshops/webinars! In addition, new units focusing on land use, agriculture, and food security for middle school and high school went live for teachers in October.
  • The Field Team’s incredible group of over 200 activists sent nearly 400 emails to their legislators imploring them to protect funding for essential reproductive health care services.
  • In commemoration of Indigenous People’s Day, we hosted a virtual presentation with Dr. Kyle Whyte, Willis Pack Professor at the University of Michigan and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Over 60 members and supporters tuned in for Professor Whyte’s talk.
  • Our exclusive Halloween social media content garnered 2,197 impressions on Twitter, empowering new audiences to fight for reproductive rights.
  • President and CEO John Seager is continuing his radio interviews and writing LTEs that detail the critical role family planning plays in addressing rapid population growth. He even had a recent opinion piece published in The Washington Post!
  • Our Senior Analyst Hannah Evans was a (virtual) guest speaker at seven university classes this month! Learn more about the topics of her talk here.
  • Our final Book Club meeting of 2021 brought together 27 supporters to discuss The New Climate War by Michael E. Mann. We started hosting our “Page Turners” book club just this year and are thrilled with the meaningful conversations we were able to be a part of. Five meetings and hundreds of pages later, we’ve had 76 members and supporters tune in for one or more of our meetings. 
  • We partnered with Youth Advocates Ghana for a Twitter event to talk about SRHR services in Ghanaian communities. We received 12.6 thousand impressions, with 471 individuals engaging with one of our posts!
  • As part of our Population Studies for Higher Education Program, Senior Analyst Hannah Evans gave virtual presentations at St. Cloud Tech College and Kalamazoo Community College.
  • We had 65 members and supporters tune in for our final virtual event, Year in Review with Population Connection. We hosted senior staff members to share organizational highlights from 2021.