By Jeremy Beck
The number one threat to endangered species in the United States — habitat loss — is closely related to the increase in the number of Americans. The destruction of ecosystems often occurs around heavily populated cities, which were established on some of the richest bio-systems the land has to offer. Our expansion literally paves over … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
We lose a football field worth of nature every 30 seconds in the United States. We add an NFL football stadium worth of people every ten days. You don’t have to be an environmental scientist or demographer to see the connection. Even with our efforts to reduce our individual footprints, our collective feet are stomping … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
Pictures can move us in ways that words cannot and it is hard to find the right words for the photograph of Óscar Ramírez and his 23-month old daughter that went viral this week. Ramirez and his daughter, Valeria, drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande. Ramirez’s wife, who successfully crossed before them, reportedly watched … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
Last month, we did our small part to break what David Attenborough calls the “bizarre taboo” that prevents an open discussion about the connection between population size and the environment from taking place. Obviously, the number of people in any given space has an impact on the environment of that space. When the first Earth … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
In her interview with Jose Antonio Vargas this week, NPR’s Rachel Martin mischaracterized separate proposals from David Frum and President Trump to reduce immigration. MARTIN: David Frum, who is a vocal Trump critic, agrees with President Trump on this idea of getting rid of a rule that says one member of the family who immigrates … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
“How much immigration should we allow into the United States? And who should be allowed in?” Those are the questions NPR/WAMU’s “1A” poised in it’s April 11 episode featuring David Frum (The Atlantic) and Jose Antonio Vargas (Define American). Along with “how should they be enforced?” they are also the fundamental questions of immigration policy. … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
Last week, the American physicist Steven Chu spoke at the University of Chicago about the need to develop new economic systems that don’t rely on perpetual population growth. “The world needs a new model of how to generate a rising standard of living that’s not dependent on a pyramid scheme.” – Steven Chu at a … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
The New York Times is worried about water shortages and population growth…in Britain: “In the future, the changed conditions could amount to a 10 to 15 percent decline in the available water, and rainfall will probably become less predictable, creating a higher risk of drought. At the same time, Britain’s population is expected to rise … Continued
By Jeremy Beck
The forces driving the unprecedented surge in family units and minors at the southern border were in the spotlight last week, as many of the nation’s leading newspapers published reports within days of each other that paint a clearer picture of how loose “credible fear” standards, the “Flores” settlement, and lack of detention space and … Continued
