Re: Ending growth won't save the planet
The Washington Post editorial board recently published a flawed and problematic article arguing in favor of infinite growth. We sent a letter in response, which was not published, so we…
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Your Gift Matters
Rapid population growth threatens the quality of life for people everywhere.
Global population rose to 8 billion in November of 2022.
As a supporter of Population Connection, you raise awareness and educate others on the pressing issues our world faces due to rapid population growth.
We are deeply grateful to you and appreciate your commitment to our mission!
Latest Updates
Summer Updates
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Our June magazine is out! This issue focuses on Tanzania’s population trends, highlighting its high fertility rates and the resulting economic and social challenges. With a swelling population, our issue dives deeper into the implications for the country’s development and global population trends.
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Population Education (PopEd) announced the winning videos in the 2023-2024 World of 8 Billion Student Video Contest. The longstanding student video contest challenged middle and high school students to create videos related to one of these categories: Climate Migration, Invasive Species, and Global Health. Over 4,600 students from around 58 countries participated this year!
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PopEd staff and volunteer trainers presented over 70 teacher workshops in May and June. Many were for AP Environmental Science and AP Human Geography teachers preparing to teach high school courses for the upcoming school year. Educators who participate in PopEd teacher workshops learn engaging classroom activities that explore population connections across different subjects.
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A key focus of our work is to inform the public about the environmental and social impacts of rapid population growth. Misconceptions can lead to misunderstanding these critical issues, which is why we are committed to providing additional insight. Our communications team has been responding to headlines featured in major publications. Check out our responses to articles in the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Economist, and The Washington Post!
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Our latest Page Turners Book Club discussion focused on Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother. Participants engaged in a thought-provoking conversation on the historical and societal aspects of choosing a child-free life. These meetings are an excellent way for supporters to grow their knowledge and network with other Population Connection members on publications related to our work.
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We hosted a virtual Biodiversity Trivia event with the Center For Biodiversity! Trivia go-ers tested their knowledge and learned more about population, reproductive health, and endangered species. Put your knowledge to the test and take the trivia quiz here!
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The March issue of our quarterly magazine, Population Connection, is here! This issue focuses on how low fertility has prompted some governments in East Asia and Europe to implement pronatalist policies to encourage citizens to have more children. However, these schemes have a minimal effect on fertility rates and can be offensive to women by treating them as little more than creators of future taxpayers, consumers, soldiers, and caregivers. Read the full March Issue.
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The Population Education team led over 75 teacher workshops across several states, including New York, Massachusetts, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Michigan! Workshops include interactive, cross-curricular lesson plans that promote issue-based learning in various subjects, helping the next generation of decision-makers to think critically about population issues. Learn more about our Population Education Program.
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Along with teacher workshops, the PopEd team hosted an exhibit booth at the National Science Teachers Association Convention (NSTA) in Denver. Over 400 attendees stopped by and explored the booth. In addition, PopEd held three workshops at the NSTA Convention, two presented by staff and one given by two of their incredible trainers!
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Our sister organization, Population Connection Action Fund, is hard at work building a network of #Fight4HER activists! Through the #Fight4HER campaign, activists in six key districts advocate for policies that protect and improve access to reproductive health care at home and abroad. Learn more about our Policy Priorities.
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We are committed to addressing misinterpretations and inaccuracies in the media about demographic trends and population issues. Some outlets are portraying new fertility projections by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) published in The Lancet as a shocking impending crash in the number of births worldwide. The study shows otherwise. Read our statement on the new projections.
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Our Population Education for Higher Studies Program engages college-level students in thinking about human population dynamics by providing thought-provoking presentations and other academic materials. Presentations highlight the causes, impacts, and solutions to global population challenges. Since February, staff led 14 presentations, helping students gain new perspectives on cost-effective, rights-based solutions to population issues, climate change, and other environmental challenges. Learn more about our Population Studies or Higher Education program.
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Population Education’s professional staff facilitated nearly 60 workshops for current and future teachers. In addition, they hosted a special Earth Day webinar, Forest Lessons and Activities for Earth Day. During the interactive session, facilitators shared activities to get students thinking about their role as stewards of Earth’s forests. Learn more about our Population Education Program.
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We hosted a virtual side event to the UN’s 57th Session of the Commission on Population and Development with Population Matters and Population Media Center! During the panel discussion, speakers highlighted how addressing the critical connections between population and sustainable development can help increase international reproductive health and rights funding. Check out the recording here!
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Our sister organization Population Connection Action Fund’s #Fight4HER campaign is in full swing in six target locations. Learn more about how you can support voluntary, rights-based family planning programs!
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Nearly 200 supporters joined us for Virtual Earth Day events! We hosted President and CEO John Seager, who discussed the importance of removing barriers to family planning worldwide. Then, Dr. Céline Delacroix, Director of the FP/Earth project with Population Institute, joined us to share key findings in her recent report exploring stakeholder perspectives on the links between reproductive rights, population dynamics, and environmental sustainability.
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 12 people already lives below the international poverty line of $2.15 per day.
Stabilizing population plays an important role in confronting the world’s climate crisis.
Check out our latest publications!
June Magazine Issue
Tanzania is East Africa’s largest and most populous country, and is one of eight countries projected to make up over half of the world’s population growth through 2050. Fertility is high, at nearly five births per woman, and the population is growing so quickly that it is set to double in only 23 years.
Cover image: Villagers fetch water from Lake Victoria in Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 12, 2023. Mwanza Region is in the northwestern part of the country, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues. (Photo by Wang Guansen/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Read the June Issue
2024 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
2023 at a glance
Visit our Year at a Glance page for more program highlights from 2023! Your support makes our work possible, thank you so much!
2023 Highlights
1,200+ Activists
Population Connection Action Fund mobilized reproductive rights champions through training workshops, digital rallies, and online petitions
10,000+ Educators
Population Education hosted over 550 workshops for educators across 44 states and in six Canadian provinces
1,200+ Supporters
Membership Relations engaged with our supporter base through 20 virtual events, including four book club discussions and nine webinars featuring our Global Partners.
2022 at a glance
Visit our Year at a Glance page for more program highlights from 2022! We couldn’t do this important work without your support!
2022 Highlights
10,000+
Educators provided with resources to teach their K-12 students about population trends and how they impact planetary health and sustainable development through our Population Education program
400+
Activists trained and mobilized by our sister organization, Population Connection Action Fund to continue fighting for reproductive rights
1,000+
Members and supporters engaged with our virtual events, tuning in for presentations with experts in the field, book club discussions, film screenings, and more
2021 at a glance
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
3,000,000
Young people inspired to think critically about our world’s population challenges via Population Education lesson plans
1,204
Legislator connections by 389 advocates during our virtual Capitol Hill Days, a joint program with Population Connection Action Fund
1,300+
Members and supporters who have RSVP’d or attended at least one virtual event