: Environment

News from Population Matters.

  • London tube

    The BBC on population: Re-treading a well-worn path

    Human population dynamics, impacts and challenges are rarely raised or discussed in any depth on mainstream media. So the fact that the BBC gave over one of its flagship Radio…

  • Director’s reflections on 2021

    As 2021 draws to a close, Population Matters Director Robin Maynard reflects on an eventful year. Thank you to all of you from across the world for your interest, your…

  • Bill Rees: A note on climate change and cultural denial

    Was COP26 a big waste of time? Population ecologist and PM Expert Advisor Prof William Rees weighs in on the major UN climate conference and points out humanity’s collective failure…

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    From flood protection to family planning: Komb Green Solutions

    In July, we launched our crowdfunding campaign with the Kenyan environmental organisation, Komb Green Solutions. After disastrous floods earlier this year, the People’s Park they had created for children and…

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    Talking population at the World Conservation Congress

    From 3-10 September, Population Matters attended the World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the sunny, warm climes of Marseille. Postponed from last year…

  • More than half of all tree species could face extinction

    A comprehensive new assessment of the conservation status of all trees reveals that 30-60% of species are at risk of extinction, mainly due to habitat destruction for agriculture. Vanishing forests…

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    Europe’s biodiversity under pressure from growing food demand

    Increasing populations lead to a subsequent increase in food demand, but how will this impact biodiversity? A recent study, published in Nature, shows the continued conversion of land to agriculture…

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    The Sahel: Empowering women key to averting disaster

    The Sahel region of Africa is on a dangerous trajectory of rapid population growth and catastrophic climate warming. Empowering women in this area is key to saving and improving countless…

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    “Code red for humanity”: UN climate report

    A major UN climate report was published last week, providing a dire warning about the worsening climate crisis. With the UN Secretary-General calling it a “code red for humanity”, the…

  • Heading towards collapse: two major warnings

    Updates to two landmark environmental studies were published in recent weeks: one examines the accuracy of the Club of Rome’s predictions in their bestselling 1972 book ‘Limits to Growth’, the…