All entries by this author

Fertility in the Age of Extraction

Sep 10th, 2013 | By
Canadian tar sands [photo credit: www.priceofoil.org]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Slowly but surely, economists and other experts are beginning to see the light on the need to rethink society’s obsession with growth, be it population or economic. Dean Baker, an economist with the Center for Economic & Policy Research, took the New York Times to task for celebrating fertility rates in
[continue reading…]



Cooperation in the Face of Water Scarcity and Population Growth

Sep 6th, 2013 | By
[photo: unep.org]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org In this summer of drought in many places around the world, concern about water is growing.  Coping with water scarcity is a main topic at World Water Week, which is currently winding down in Stockholm, Sweden.  This is an annual gathering of leaders, experts, and perhaps a few activists to discuss
[continue reading…]



Women’s Rights and a Sustainable World Go Hand in Hand

Aug 29th, 2013 | By
Environmental activists at Rio+20: Marina Silva, Sheyla Jurana, and Vandana Shiva [photo credit: Kim Lovell]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Women’s health and reproductive rights go hand in hand with a sustainable environment. When women’s needs are met, they are able to better manage resources, confront the effects of climate change and handle climate mitigation and adaptation, and overall support sustainable communities. Biodiversity loss affects access to education and gender equality
[continue reading…]



Message from Millennials: Support Reproductive Rights

Aug 27th, 2013 | By
[photo credit: http://www.wcs.org.au]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org We live in interesting times, especially here in the United States.  ObamaCare is about to be implemented yet opponents continue to try and block it.  Contraceptive use and voluntary family planning services – something many take for granted – has become a point of contention too, and we are back to
[continue reading…]



Population, Global Food Security & Empowering People

Aug 23rd, 2013 | By
[photo credit: www.un.org]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Can the world improve food security in the face of rising food prices, population growth, climate change, poverty, and gender inequality? New research in the journal Climatic Change found that a changing climate will likely push food prices up 20 to 40%, regardless of cuts to future carbon emissions.  As reported
[continue reading…]



Shooting Ourselves in the Foot? Oil Dependence vs. Nature

Aug 21st, 2013 | By
[photo credit: fondationchirac.eu

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Forget nature, as oil trumps conservation once again.  Last week, Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s president, announced the end of an innovative plan to protect one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, opting instead to allow drilling for oil. Known as the Yasuní-ITT Initiative, the plan called for permanently leaving more
[continue reading…]



Blowing the Budget: Overspending Nature’s Wealth

Aug 16th, 2013 | By
earth overshoot day

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org If there is one day that all of humanity can recognize together, it would be that of Earth Overshoot Day.  This is the day that global resource consumption for the year exceeds the planet’s ability to replenish its natural capital. Or to put it another way, it is comparable to living
[continue reading…]



The Links between Trade and Population: A Look at the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Aug 14th, 2013 | By
TPP protestors in Japan [photo credit: www.coha.org]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The relationship between trade and population is based on one main thing, and that is growth.  Growth of people, growth of goods and services, and growth of markets and capital. The latest population projection from the United Nations is for a world population of 8.1 billion people by 2025, and 9.6
[continue reading…]



Out of Our Fracking Minds

Aug 9th, 2013 | By
Mora County, NM bans fracking, June 2013 [photo credit: www.hcn.org]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org We are well into summer 2013, and in the West temperatures are high, wildfires are raging, and droughts are in effect in many states. One state that has been hit particularly hard is New Mexico.  Nearly 90 percent of the state is experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions, and the Rio
[continue reading…]



Empowering People and Protecting the Environment: Putting PHE in Place

Aug 6th, 2013 | By
Fisherfolk of Lake Victoria [photo: pathfinder.org]

By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Confronted with so much grim news 24/7 – severe droughts and floods, poverty, loss of biodiversity, and much, much more – people are understandably hungry for something positive. Fortunately, there are some dedicated organizations and government agencies working to improve peoples’ lives and natural environment via an approach linking issues that
[continue reading…]