A recent article in the Lancet medical journal has been getting a lot of press for predicting that the global population will decline sooner than most experts predict — at 9.7 billion in 2064. But a) that’s still way too many people for this roasting planet and b) the authors are more optimistic about improvements in women’s education and access to birth control than many other demographers. You can read an excellent summary of the new study and the broader debates surrounding it, including some comments by UPEC’s own Derek Hoff, at:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/25/all-the-people-what-happens-if-humanitys-ranks-start-to-shrink

With restrictions in place, millions stopped visiting clinics for contraceptives, says the government, which promotes family planning as part of its fight against child malnutrition… https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/world/asia/indonesia-coronvirus-baby-boom.html

projectsinsider@insider.com (Juliana Kaplan)

Brookings Institute economists predict that the coronavirus pandemic will lead to what they call a “baby bust” — not a baby boom… https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/the-pandemic-could-lead-to-a-baby-bust-of-almost-half-a-million-fewer-births-a-major-think-tank-projects/ar-BB15CuYg?ocid=spartandhp

By Stephen C. Bannister | Special to The Tribune · Published: 5 days ago
Updated: 5 days ago

Most of us have enjoyed the much cleaner air since the great COVID-19 shutdown-caused economic collapse. Everything damaging that we normally dump into our common airshed is reduced — carbon dioxide that increases climate warming and the pollutant precursors that cause regional haze we notice as bad air quality and bad health outcomes — and the result has been cleaner air for all to enjoy.

But this win has been accompanied by considerable social and commercial costs. The pandemic has sharply curtailed personal and business activities, causing lost incomes across the economy and damaging the poorest parts of society and business most heavily. https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2020/05/20/stephen-c-bannister-our/