Blog | Utah Population & Environment Council

All the people: what happens if humanity’s ranks start to shrink?

Written by UPEC Staff on July 29, 2020.

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...

Indonesia’s New Coronavirus Concern: A Post-Pandemic Baby Boom

Written by UPEC Staff on June 25, 2020.

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… Read the Full Article Here

The pandemic could lead to a ‘baby bust’ of almost half a million fewer births, a major think tank

Written by Gray Griffin on June 23, 2020.

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… Read the Full Article Here

Stephen C. Bannister: Our Faustian bargain with fossil fuels

Written by Gray Griffin on May 25, 2020.

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

Inland Port Taking Shape South of Great Salt Lake

Written by UPEC Staff on September 17, 2021.

A multimillion Inland Port is taking shape south of the Great Salt Lake. The original project of 16,000 acres has since ballooned to include a newly planned real estate development and a gargantuan Amazon warehouse. Guided by the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA), and with a freshly approved budget of $40 million, Utah’s Inland Port is likely happening — whether we like it or not. At UPEC,...

A Few Thoughts on Immigration

Written by UPEC Staff on August 1, 2021.

To begin with an understatement, immigration is a highly controversial topic. Most of us are familiar with the contentious cultural and economic debates surrounding immigration policy, and immigration also has multiple tangled and ambiguous connections to population growth and the environment. Immigration obviously contributes to population growth in the United States, though even measuring...

immigration, population

July Newsletter

Written by UPEC Staff on July 6, 2021.

Happy summer from UPEC, and fingers crossed that the virus won’t mount more than a modest comeback. Unless you’ve been observing a news blackout (and who could blame you?), you’ve probably noticed that population matters have been in the news quite a bit the last few months. The Chinese One Child Policy (which for years was essentially a two-child policy) has morphed into a three-child policy....