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Protected Rainforest Cut Down For COP30 Climate Summit
Tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest are being cut down to construct a new four-lane highway for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém. More than half the world’s tropical forests have already been destroyed since the 1960s, mostly to enable the production of more food…
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Human Overpopulation Pushing Wildlife To Extinction
Our understanding of the decline that human overpopulation is causing in animal species across our planet is nothing new. On the land, in the air and beneath the water, species large and small have long been struggling to adapt and survive as a growing human population continues to destroy animal habitats and ecosystems…
Read MoreOverpopulation And Waste Generation
There is almost no part of our planet where the negative effects of human overpopulation are not felt. And of all those effects, one of the most keenly felt is waste. Across land, throughout the oceans and blown by the winds, human generated waste is all around us. And it is building up at an unsustainable and ever-increasing…
Read MoreThomas Malthus: Still Relevant Over 200 Years Later
With the earth’s population having almost tripled in the last 60 years, it is easy to assume that concerns about overpopulation are relatively new. In fact, concerns over the number of people that our planet can reasonably sustain began to be raised, documented and published more than 200 years ago…
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Protected Rainforest Cut Down For COP30 Climate Summit
Tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest are being cut down to construct a new four-lane highway for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém. More than half the world’s tropical forests have already been destroyed since the 1960s, mostly to enable the production of more food…
Read moreClimate Migration: The Silent Crises
As the world battles with the escalating effects of climate change, driven by human overpopulation, a silent crisis is unfolding: millions of people globally are being uprooted from their homes, not by war or political persecution, but by rising seas, devastating droughts, and extreme weather events. Climate migration is no longer a future concern…
Read morePopulation Growth Behind Spanish Housing Crisis
Population growth has been cited as a key factor in the current Spanish housing crisis, as high demand forces prices to spiral. Property experts have forecast a continued rise in Spain’s housing prices, driven by several key factors. Limited supply driven by continued population growth is the primary factor behind rising costs…
Read moreUK Population Predicted To Rise By 5 Million Over Next Decade
The UK population is projected to reach 72.5 million by mid-2032, up from previous estimates of 67.6 million, if current trends continue. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) projects an increase of 4.9 million (7.3 per cent) from net migration, with births and deaths aligned at approximately 6.8 million…
Read morePopulation Growth In Egypt: Almost Half A Million New Houses Needed Each Year
Almost half a million new housing units need to be built in Egypt each year to keep pace with population growth. According to Sherif El-Sherbiny, Egypt’s Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Egypt requires approximately 450,000 new housing units each year to accommodate the growing demand…
Read moreYellowstone Threatened By Human Overpopulation
Yellowstone, the Western TV drama that for five seasons has been one of Paramount Network’s most popular shows, aired its finale in December. But while the fictional show drew on the natural beauty of a Montana ranch at the border of a national landmark, the real Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is under siege…
Read moreGlobal Population Surpasses 8.156 Billion in 2024
The Earth’s global population reached and surpassed 8.156 billion by the end of 2024. According to the German Foundation for World Population, the number of people on the planet increased by about 82 million from the end of the previous year. According to United Nations (UN) figures, the global population…
Read moreConfronting Population Denial (Video)
This week Nandita Bajaj, the Executive Director of Population Balance, spoke with Dr. Brian Henning, founder and Director of the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment, at the Gongaza University in Washington. This online event, titled Confronting population denial amid…
Read morePopulation Growth Threatens Australia’s Water Security
The extent of population growth in Australia means that the demand for fresh water has now outpaced improvements to the country’s water infrastructure. According to new research commissioned by Sustainable Population Australia (SPA), overpopulation is now threatening water security and sustainability…
Read morePlastic Pollution – Oil States Derail Potential Landmark Agreement
After more than two years of negotiations, participating countries have failed to reach a landmark agreement on tackling plastic pollution. More than 200 nations met in South Korea last week for what was meant to be a final round of talks on addressing global plastic pollution. But deep divisions remained between…
Read moreThe Top 10 Countries Driving Population Growth
According to the United Nations the global population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2037, with Asia and Africa at the forefront of this increase. This spiralling rise in the Earth’s population is set to bring significant demographic changes to these regions. Notably, Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, is expected to emerge…
Read moreCOP29 Chief Exec Promotes Fossil Fuel Deals
The Chief Executive of Azerbaijan’s COP29 team appears to have used his role to encourage a meeting to discuss potential fossil fuel deals, according to a report by the BBC. Elnur Soltanov, a senior official at the COP29 climate change conference in Azerbaijan, appeared in a secret recording showing him…
Read morePopulation Growth And Mexico’s Unprecedented Water Crisis
Mexico is facing an unprecedented water crisis, as population growth and climate change place increasing stress on an already stretched water supply. Water scarcity has long been an impending concern in arid nations across the world. But now ‘Day Zero’ – the day when water resources become irreversibly scarce…
Read moreChina’s Child Policies Will Increase Future Carbon Emissions
According to a new study by UCL researchers, relaxing its restrictions on family size will make it more difficult for China to achieve its goal to be carbon neutral by 2060. The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, is the first research to analyse the impact of a country’s population policies on its future carbon emissions…
Read moreEthiopia Becomes 10th Most Populous Nation
Ethiopia has become the world’s 10th most populous nation. With an estimated population of 133 million, it is now the second-most populous country in Africa after Nigeria and accounts for 1.62% of the world’s total population, according to figures provided by Worldometer. Ethiopia’s rapid population growth…
Read moreHuman Activity Drives Catastrophic Loss Of Species
According to The Living Planet Report 2024, global wildlife populations have shrunk by an average of 73% in the past 50 years. The report, undertaken by the World Wide Fund for Nature, is a comprehensive overview of the state of the natural world, a stocktake of the world’s wildlife. Loss of habitat caused by human population growth…
Read moreConcern As Netherlands Population Hits Record 18 Million
Figures released by the Netherlands’ Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) in the last week show a new population milestone. The country’s population has reached a total of 18 million people for the first time. According to Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders, the current number of inhabitants is “crazy”…
Read morePopulation Growth Means India Needs To Create 148 Million Jobs By 2030
Among the G20 nations, India has been lagging behind in terms of employment generation and the country needs to create 148 million more jobs by 2030 in order to keep pace with population growth. This was part of a speech made by the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath at the Delhi School of Economics…
Read moreWorld’s 10 Fastest Growing Populations
Globally, the human population is continuing to grow. Currently at over 8.1 billion, the United Nations predicts that, based on all evidence, the world’s population will most likely peak at close to 11 billion by 2100. On a country-wide basis, however, the story is a little more complex…
Read moreOverpopulation Affecting Public Health In India
Overpopulation has once again been cited as a critical concern for India as pressure on the country’s public health infrastructure grows. Since India gained independence in 1947, its population has grown more than fourfold, from 336 million to over 1.4 billion, triggering concerns over worsening…
Read moreOverpopulation Concerns As Life Extending Drug Trialled In Humans
An experimental drug has increased the lifespans of laboratory animals by almost 25%, in a discovery scientists hope can also slow human ageing. The treated mice, known in the lab as ‘supermodel grannies’ because of their youthful appearance, were healthier, stronger and developed fewer cancers than…
Read moreCanada’s Over 85 Population Set To Triple Over Next 40 Years
Canada’s 85 and over population is expected to triple over the next 40 years to as many as 4.3 million people, an increase that will place significant pressure on public services and the care system. According to figures released this week by Statistics Canada, the country’s population could reach…
Read morePakistan Facing Population Explosion
Pakistan is facing a population explosion. The South Asian country, already the fifth most populous in the world, saw a 16.3 per cent growth in population between 2017 and 2023. This brought the total number of people to 241.5 million by the end of 2023. According to Pakistan’s Economic Survey 2023-24…
Read morePopulation Growth Exacerbating Water Scarcity According To World Bank
According to a new World Bank report, water scarcity is threatening shared prosperity, and it is a problem worsened by population growth, urbanisation & climate change. The Water For Shared Prosperity report was released this week at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali. The report emphasises the broadening gap…
Read moreOver Half Of World Population Could Be At Risk Of Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Scientists have predicted that if the current trajectory of population growth and carbon emissions continues, 4.7 billion people could be affected by mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria by the end of the century. According to experts, mosquito-borne outbreaks, driven by global warming, are set to…
Read morePopulation Surge In Iraq Poses Challenges For Sustainable Future
Population growth is causing a rapid and profound demographic shift in Iraq as the West Asian Republic continues to record over a million births each year. According to the United Nations Population Division (UNPD), Iraq’s population growth rate in 2023 stood at 2.27%, with the country’s current population…
Read morePopulation Growth In Namibia Putting Strain On Health And Social Care
Namibia’s Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, this week outlined government plans to meet the country’s evolving health and social needs amid continued population growth. Population growth in Namibia is proving a critical issue for the southwest African country. Numbers have surged from…
Read morePopulation Growth In Dublin Puts Pressure On Water Supply
Residents of Dublin are being advised to conserve water as population growth and climate change conditions put pressure on the city’s water supply system. Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) has highlighted the need for water conservation in the Republic of Ireland capital…
Read morePopulation Growth And Poverty Interlinked According To World Bank
According to The World Bank, there is a clear and direct relationship between population growth and poverty. Around 700 million people across the world currently live on less than $2.15 USD per day, the amount considered to be the extreme poverty line. In 2015, the United Nations set a range of 17 Sustainable Development…
Read moreGlobal Population Growth Escalates Water Demand
Population growth, at both national and global levels, is escalating water demand according to Sustainable Population Australia (SPA), threatening both social and international stability. SPA national president Jenny Goldie claims that currently about half of the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity…
Read moreEnergy Demand To Outpace Population Growth – Kuwait Oil CEO
Global energy demand will increase faster than the rate of population growth through to 2050, according to the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, contradicting projections that demand will peak in this current decade. The statement was made this week by Shaikh Nawaf S. Al-Sabah, speaking at the CERAWeek…
Read morePopulation Growth: Can Environmental Catastrophe Be Avoided?
A new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health on March 5, explores the direct relationship between population size and environmental decline. The study, funded by Population Matters and led by Chitra Saraswati, a researcher with the Telethon Kids Institute, and Corey Bradshaw, Professor of…
Read moreSurging Population Growth In Tanzania
Surging population growth in Tanzania is creating a number of challenges for the West African nation, the most pressing issue being its acute housing crisis. With a population just short of 69 million, projected to hit 137 million by 2050, the demand for housing in Tanzania is skyrocketing at an unprecedented rate…
Read moreOverpopulation In Brisbane: Olympic City’s Housing Crisis
Overpopulation in Brisbane has reached unprecedented levels and preparing to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is not the only challenge currently faced by the Queensland capital. As Brisbane’s population growth continues, its housing crisis deepens. Vacancy rates in most greater Brisbane…
Read morePopulation Growth In UK: Half A Million New Homes Needed Each Year
Population growth in the UK could mean that around 500,000 new homes will need to be built in England each year, according to latest estimates. Concerns were heightened last month when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested that the UK population could hit 70 million by the middle of 2026…
Read morePopulation Growth In New Zealand Highest Since 1946
New Zealand experienced a surge in population in 2023, recording the fastest growth rate in the post-World War II era. According to the economic forecasting consultancy Infometrics, New Zealand’s population soared by 2.8 per cent in the 12 month period ending December 31, surpassing the 2 per cent growth…
Read moreOverpopulation In Pakistan: World Bank Backs $100 Million Program To Tackle Problem
The World Bank has approved a $100 million funding package for the Punjab Family Planning Program to help address overpopulation in Pakistan’s most populous province. The initiative aims to broaden accessibility and punctuality of family planning services in the Punjab region, improving access to quality…
Read moreNigeria’s Population Projected To Reach 730 Million
Nigeria’s population is projected to swell to around 730 million by 2100, potentially elevating it to the world’s third-most populous country. With just over 227 million people, the African country is experiencing a population boom, with United Nations estimates suggesting that current numbers will almost double by…
Read morePopulation Of Uzbekistan Approaches 37 Million
The population of Uzbekistan has reached almost 37 million people. According to figures released by the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan, the country’s population reached 36,799,756 people at the start of 2024, a growth of 2.2% compared to the beginning of 2023. In 2023, Uzbekistan’s population increased by…
Read moreUK Population Projected To Reach 74 Million By 2036
The population of the United Kingdom could reach almost 74 million by 2036, latest figures suggest. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) projects the UK population will increase by 6.6 million people (9.9%) between 2021 and 2036. This includes a net migration of approximately 6.1 million people, plus around…
Read morePopulation Of Australia Hits 27 Million
The population of Australia hit 27 million this week, 30 years earlier than originally predicted, with serious ramifications for the nation’s housing supply, infrastructure and urban planning. The Australian Treasury’s 2002 Intergenerational Report projected a population of 23.4 million people by this point…
Read morePopulation Of Accra Outgrows Water Supply Capacity
The Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has indicated that the population of Accra, the Ghanaian capital, has outgrown the capacity of its fresh water supply. During an interview on Ghana’s Citi Breakfast Show, Dr. Clifford Braimah highlighted the challenges GWCL faces…
Read moreOverpopulation Threatens Pakistan’s Economy
Overpopulation is threatening Pakistan’s economy, putting pressure on the country’s resources, infrastructure, and socio-economic stability. The claims were made this week by Meher Kashif Younis, coordinator to the Federal Tax Ombudsman, as he addressed a conference on the ‘Impact of overpopulation on Pakistan Economy’…
Read moreUK Population Growth Outpacing Police Resources
The Police Federation of England and Wales has cited population growth as one of the key factors affecting the ability of the police force to deal with rising crime in the United Kingdom. Steve Hartshorn, the National Chair of the PFEW, released a statement on its website following the airing, on January 8, of…
Read moreFirst Polar Bear Dies From Bird Flu As Virus Spreads Across Globe
A polar bear has died from bird flu as the highly contagious H5N1 virus spreads into the most remote regions of the planet. The current outbreak, which began in 2021, is estimated to have already killed millions of wild birds and thousands of mammals worldwide. The death of the polar bear was confirmed…
Read moreIsrael To Reach Population Milestone In 2024
Israel is expected to reach a population milestone in 2024, surpassing 10 million people. According to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Israel (CBS), the country’s population grew by 1.9% in 2023, reaching 9.8 million at the close of the year. According to the CBS, 179,000 new names were added…
Read morePopulation Growth Threat To Green Economy – Uganda Minister
Uganda’s minister for Water and Environment has denounced the country’s growing population, seeing it as a threat to achieving and maintaining a green economy. Sam Cheptoris made his remarks while launching Uganda’s Water and Environment Information System (WEIS) on December 27 at the…
Read moreWorld Population Increases By Over 75 Million In 2023
Data released on December 28 indicates that the world population has grown by a further 75 million in 2023. According to the US Census Bureau, the global human population on January 1 2024 will be 75,162,541 higher than on New Year’s Day 2023, a growth of almost 1%. At the start of 2024, 4.3 births…
Read morePopulation Growth In Canada Among World’s Fastest
Canada’s population growth accelerated through 2023, reaching 3.2%, one of the fastest rates in the world. According to new data from Statistics Canada, the country’s population rose by 1.25 million in the year to October 1 2023. This is the largest number in any 12-month period since…
Read moreAbortion And Overpopulation: Letter To Trib Live
In response to a letter on the subject of ‘right to life’, the following letter was submitted to Trib Live and published on December 7, 2023. “Overpopulation is killing us. We need to start getting real about this problem, and I ask, where better to start than those who aren’t yet born and are unwanted by the parents?”
Read moreHuman Overpopulation Not On COP28 Agenda
As world leaders and other delegates gather in Dubai for the 2023 United Nations Conference of Parties, one key topic appears missing from the COP28 Agenda – that of continued human population growth. World governments have now met almost every year for nearly three decades, with the aim of forming a global…
Read moreMalta’s Opposition Leader Says Overpopulation Root Of All problems
Malta’s opposition leader Bernard Grech this week said that overpopulation is the root of all problems currently facing the country. The Nationalist Leader also claimed that the Maltese government is hiding the country’s true population figures and called for Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo to resign from the…
Read moreDiwali Festival Adds More Indian Cities To World’s Most Polluted
Two Indian cities have joined the national capital, New Delhi, on the list of the world’s top 10 most polluted cities this week, following Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of light. Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali this week, burning a record number of bright earthen oil lamps and setting of fireworks, as authorities…
Read morePakistan Facing Cyclical Challenge Of Overpopulation And Gender Inequality
With Pakistan’s population having already exceeded 240 million, the interplay between overpopulation and gender inequality has created a cyclical challenge for the country. As overpopulation puts further strain on Pakistan’s limited resources, this resource scarcity is, in turn, leading to unequal access to education and healthcare…
Read moreSurvey Shows Overpopulation A Concern For Young Women
A survey of British women between the ages of 18 and 35 has highlighted overpopulation as a major concern, and a deterrent to having a first or additional child. Out of the 1,502 young women surveyed, 59 per cent expressed worry over human overpopulation.
Read moreUN Calls For Global Action To Transform Crowded Cities
On World Cities Day, The United Nations has called for global action to turn overcrowded cities into engines of sustainable development and innovation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the vital role cities must play in sustainable development, emphasising the need for a global call to action.
Read moreEgypt’s Overpopulation Battle
Amid an acute economic crisis, Egypt’s government, led by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, continues to battle the country’s spiralling population growth. According to Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, the population stands at just over 112 million, an increase of 10 million people in just 6 years.
Read more2023: A Year Of Climate-Related Disasters
According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), global climate-related disasters are increasing at a staggering rate. Back in 2020, the UNDRR issued a report detailing that in the 20 year period from 1980 to the end of 1999, the world had seen 3,656 climate-related disasters…
Read moreThe Anthropocene Epoch
Derived from the Greek terms for ‘human’ and ‘new’, the Anthropocene is an unofficial unit of geological time used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history, when the planet’s climate and ecosystems began to be impacted by human activity. In 2000, the theory of the Anthropocene Epoch was first proposed…
Read morePopulation Of India Overtakes China
According to United Nations reports, India has now overtaken China as the world’s most populous country. The UN’s latest figures show that, at the end of April 2023, India’s population surpassed an estimated 1,425,775,850 people*, overtaking that of China. While China’s human population reached 1.426 billion in 2022…
Read moreKing Charles – Overpopulation And The Environment
King Charles III of the United Kingdom has long been a champion of the environment and his concern for the future of planet Earth has led him to be referred to by many as ‘the first climate king’. Regularly attending national and international events, the new King of England has always been keen to participate…
Read moreTom Hanks Appears To Endorse Malthusian Theory
In 2016, the American actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks appeared on the Today television show on NBC, where he discussed, amongst other things, the theories of Thomas Malthus. Malthus was an influential British economist, best known for his theory on population growth, which he outlined in his 1798 book…
Read moreIs There Enough Water To Sustain 8 Billion People?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over two billion people already live in water-stressed countries, a problem that is expected to become more acute as a result of climate change and human population growth. In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognised that everyone has a basic human right…
Read moreHow We Reached Eight Billion People
Today, 15th November 2022, the earth’s human population reached and surpassed eight billion. And the most staggering (and worrying) of all the trends related to human population growth, is the reduced timespan in which each additional billion people have emerged on the planet. It was a mere decade ago…
Read moreHuman Population To Exceed 8 Billion This Year
Towards the end of this year, the planet’s human population is projected to exceed eight billion. According to the United Nations’ Population Prospects 2022 report, the 15th of November 2022 is predicted to be the date that the global human population reaches and surpasses this historic number…
Read moreAnthropocentrism – The Human Supremacy Myth
Anthropocentrism refers to a human-centred, or ‘anthropocentric’ viewpoint. In philosophical terms, anthropocentrism is often used to label the belief that humans are the only, or primary, species of importance and high moral standing. Destructive human activities such as deforestation, trawling and mining…
Read morePrince William Warns Of Human Overpopulation
The Queen’s grandson, Prince William, recently joined the overpopulation discussion by publicly stating that human overpopulation is having a “catastrophic effect” on the natural world. Speaking at a 2021 event held by the African wildlife charity Tusk Trust, of which he is a patron, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge…
Read moreHuman Rights Key To Controlling Population Growth
Human rights are a basic entitlement of everyone, irrespective of gender, race, religion or nationality. These rights include, but are not limited to, bodily autonomy; the right for a person to govern what happens to their body without external influence or coercion. In some parts of the world, however, the reality paints…
Read moreSir David Attenborough On Human Overpopulation
Over the past 60 years, Sir David Attenborough has documented the evolution of our planet’s environment, habitat, ecosystem and wildlife, sharing many of his experiences through compulsive interviews and breath-taking television shows. During this time, he has witnessed the accelerated destruction of…
Read moreOverpopulation And Waste Generation
There is almost no part of our planet where the negative effects of human overpopulation are not felt. And of all those effects, one of the most keenly felt is waste. Across land, throughout the oceans and blown by the winds, human generated waste is all around us. And it is building up at an unsustainable and ever-increasing…
Read moreOverpopulation – The Need For Smaller Families
Environmental issues are an important and escalating concern amongst a growing number of young adults today. Failed by previous generations and environmentally ineffective governments, increasingly more ‘Generation Zs’ are considering how the decisions they make affect our planet and their future…
Read moreCountries With The Highest CO2 Emissions
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an essential element of life on planet earth. A harmless and odourless gas in small quantities, once released into the atmosphere, it becomes what we refer to as a greenhouse gas. Too much CO2 in the atmosphere can disrupt the planet’s natural temperatures, leading to what has…
Read moreOverpopulation And The Freshwater Crisis
When it comes to the relationship between mankind and fresh water, there are two undeniable facts. Firstly, that fresh water is an essential part of our existence. Whether used for drinking, in the preparation of food, in manufacturing processes, or for agriculture, our very survival depends on our continued access…
Read moreHuman Overpopulation Pushing Wildlife To Extinction
Our understanding of the decline that human overpopulation is causing in animal species across our planet is nothing new. On the land, in the air and beneath the water, species large and small have long been struggling to adapt and survive as a growing human population continues to destroy animal habitats and ecosystems…
Read moreWilliam Vogt And The Road To Survival
Reluctant though most people seem to be when it comes to acknowledging and openly discussing the topic of overpopulation, concerns over human population growth are far from recent. For many, the first name that will come to mind is Thomas Malthus, who’s paper An Essay on the Principal of Population…
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