overpopulation news stories on Newser

Michelle Duggar: Overpopulation Is a Lie

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:30:00 CDT

What the world needs now is more children, declares 19 Kids and Counting mother Michelle Duggar. What about overpopulation? Not to worry, says the reality show mom. Despite the world supporting a record 7 billion people, the whole "mindset" of overpopulation is "not true; it's a lie," Duggar tells the...

7B People Isn't as Terrifying as It Sounds

Matt Cantor — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:42:36 CDT

Halloween may seem the perfect day for the world population to reach 7 billion —after all, it’s a terrifying milestone, right? Wrong, writes economist David Lam, president of the Population Association of America, in the Los Angeles Times . “The parents of the 7-billionth person should not be afraid for their...

PETA Contest Prize? Free Vasectomy

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:43:04 CDT

This has got to be one of PETA’s weirdest stunts yet: The animal rights group is staging a contest related to its spay/neuter campaign, and the lucky winner will get … a free vasectomy. To enter, you just get your cat or dog spayed or neutered, then submit an essay...

India to Newlyweds: We'll Pay You Not to Have Kids

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:04:07 CDT

India's overwhelmingly young, babymaking population is putting it on a blistering pace to overtake even China's near-2 billion souls, and the thought of the resource drain is filling government officials with dread. But unlike China, which can simply institute a one-child rule, India's messy democracy must explore alternative ways to...

Carbon-Tax Foes Must Think the End Is Nigh

Kevin Spak — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:25:27 CST

Opponents of cap-and-trade legislation must believe that a massive plague will wipe out 2.5 billion people sometime between now and 2050. Otherwise, their stance makes no sense, writes Thomas Friedman of the New York Times . Even if you don’t believe climate change is real—and Friedman does—you can’t...

Two Kids Should Be the Limit: Eco Expert

Matt Cantor — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:50:00 CST

If you have more than a pair of kids, you’re damaging the planet, says an environmental adviser to the British government. He says contraception and abortion are key to fighting overpopulation that adds to global warming, the Times of London reports. “I am unapologetic about asking people to connect up...

Worst Threat to Earth? Way Too Many People

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:35:33 CDT

With the number of humans on Earth expected to reach 9.5 billion by the second half of the 21st century, policymakers and environmentalists should turn their attention to the grave dangers of overpopulation and overconsumption, Paul Ehrlich—author of 1968 bestseller The Population Bomb —and wife Anne write in...

World Pop. to Hit 7B by 2012

Peter Fearon — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:37:25 CDT

The world's soaring population is expected to hit 7 billion by 2012, further straining thinly stretched natural resources, AP reports. The current population is 6.7 billion, and growing at 1.2% a year, spurred by increasing medical and nutritional advances in developing countries. But as more women in developing...

Cougar's Long Trek to Chicago May Tell Tale

Matt Cantor — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:03:00 CDT

A cougar shot April 14 in Chicago was spotted earlier in Wisconsin, DNA tests show, suggesting an epic trek. Now, scientists are eager to study the animal, hoping to learn more about how and why it migrated; they aim to pin down its ancestry in an effort to better understand...