What can we do?

I ask this as a question because answers must arise from all of us, listening to our intuition, and acting from a place of common sense and a genuine concern for the welfare of our planet and its myriad life forms. The simple purpose of my writing is to stimulate a conversation about population size. All of these words could be distilled down to one sentence: Overpopulation is a core problem that needs to be addressed.

My hope is to bring the issue of population more strongly into the broader conversation about climate crisis. I see it too rarely spoken of, and then with a very light touch. Why isn’t it spoken of more? We are facing catastrophic environmental collapse, and likely economic and political collapse, while we are still seeing high deaths tolls in many areas of the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of new variants. We also continue to face the possibility of nuclear annihilation that has been looming in the background for decades, warring factions and authoritarian regimes abound, and yet we are bringing young innocent children into the world as if everything is just fine. It feels like the level of imminent calamity is so huge that people would really like to stay in denial as long as possible.

I have always felt that the first step in finding solutions to any problem is to acknowledge that there is a problem. You have to start there. The second step is to accurately identify and define the problem. The third step is to analyze what is going on and break it down into its causes and effects. Only then can you begin to really consider what steps could be taken to alleviate it, what options are available. Here is where your creativity comes in: you imagine possible avenues of recourse and ways to redirect the trajectory of history. Then you have to put your ideas into action and see what works. You have to experiment by testing those ideas in practical application. But more than anything, you need the will to solve it and the faith that your efforts have the possibility to effect positive changes. You need intention and focus. You cannot look away and ignore the problem in the hope that it will solve itself.

Yes, we will reach a peak of population and it will come down, but we don’t have a lot of time to wait out that process. At the very least, we could be helping the process along. Of course, nature will eventually solve the problem of humanity’s course of destruction, but let’s see if we can help out, maybe save some species, perhaps even our own. Birth control access and information, along with necessary cultural shifts, could help the very many women around the world who find themselves powerless to make decisions about their lives, their sexuality, and their choices surrounding childbirth.

Here are some ideas that come to me. I am just an ordinary person with no particular qualifications that suit me to address this problem, but I do have ideas, and I’m sure you do also. Here goes . . .

If people understood the negative impact humans have had and are having on our ecosystems, they might consider not having children, having perhaps one child, or adopting. Since this is an idea that has been presented but not cultivated or even sanctioned by our political and religious leaders, this would need those same leaders coming together to present and promote this idea. Imagine world leaders of all kinds: political heads of state, religious and spiritual leaders, scientists, social innovators, activists (young and old), gathering in a forum to have a frank discussion of population growth. This, of course, sounds quite unlikely, but it could start on a smaller level and expand. There have been many gatherings already, but it is time to look at the issue with a new perspective. For those willing to participate, it would mean a having the will to examine their beliefs and lifestyles . . . to elucidate humanity’s effect on the planet’s health and welfare without fear of censure. That will take courage on the part of the participants. The ideas presented and discussed would need to be publicized and discussed worldwide, generating awareness, and reevaluating common beliefs and practices. Targeted, creative, and ethical family-planning programs would need to be established worldwide. Cultural and religious customs and taboos would need to be reexamined and challenged, as well as lifestyle choices and social inequities. In today’s world there are still genital mutilations, child brides, honor killings, and women dying while attempting abortions by whatever means possible. We cannot turn a blind eye to the abuse and ignorance that continues around women’s sexual rights. We need to reeducate ourselves as a species, and hopefully stop the cycle of poverty and neglect that often accompanies families who cannot accommodate the needs of a large family.

Imagine if countries redirected the money spent on military expansion toward expansion of health services,(including contraception,) education, alternative means of energy production, and the general welfare of all people, while at the same time working to preserve resources and ecosystems. We have been living far too long with a numb and diffuse acceptance of intolerable conditions, including inequality, exploitation, and violence . . . a numbness that moves us to denial or despair and feelings of helplessness. With time running out, it will take radical imagination to shift the consciousness of humanity.

I personally believe we are in the midst of a major paradigm shift that is moving from dominance by the masculine and mental realm to the feminine and feeling realm . . . a shift that is totally necessary to restore balance on the planet, and a shift that will engender resistance from those not willing to relinquish power. Essentially, when women take positions of leadership, we will see more common sense and humanity in our approach to the problems we face. We can see how we are moving in the direction of women coming to power. There are some very inspiring women politicians making their voices heard here in the US. Women are less likely to support wars and weapons of mass destruction, and are less likely to support spending billions in hopes of sending people to Mars while we have so much suffering here on earth.

The US appears to be in the last stages of empire, where our political, economic, and social structures are being questioned. A new vision of how we govern and how we run our economy will need to emerge out of the chaos, unrest, and dysfunction of our society. A complete reevaluation of our values, priorities, and lifestyles is imperative, along with a realistic assessment of the detrimental effects that our growing human presence has on the survival of life on this planet.

It will take time and effort to change longstanding beliefs and practices, but there are examples of creative ideas that can be utilized to help change perceptions. For instance, in 1982, the New York Times ran an article about a nine-month long program in Mexico. Mexico's main TV channel broadcast a message of family planning to millions of viewers via a popular soap opera by introducing the issue in the plots of the episodes.⁶³ In the epilogue to each episode, viewers were informed where birth control advice was available. During the time that program was being broadcast, from August 1977 to April 1978, more than half a million women began planning their families for the first time, 32.5% more than in the previous twelve months, and the sale of contraceptives rose by 23% compared with 7% the year before. That is a creative way to get information out.

Some countries have adopted practices that encourage information about and access to birth control, such as Denmark and Holland, where family planning has been fully integrated into their societies. The Netherlands has the lowest abortion rate in the world . . . a testament to the benefits of contraception. Their society accepts abortion only as a last resort, and sex education has been integrated into the school system, with 50% of primary schools and almost all secondary schools addressing sexuality and contraception. Their mass media addresses adolescent sexuality and preventive behavior. The influence of media, accompanied by large scale non-moralistic public education programs and wide access to contraceptive services, has created a successful model for responsible family planning.

I have long thought that abortion should not even be the issue that it is here in the US. Reproductive education and free access to readily available birth control for everyone could effectively eliminate the need for abortion. The term “pro-life” has been usurped by the anti-abortion movement. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “pro-life” was first introduced to modern language in 1960 by A. S. Neill in his book Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Childrearing, which promoted progressive parenting.⁶⁴ Neill wrote, “no pro-life citizen would tolerate our penal code, our hangings, our punishments of homosexuals, our attitudes toward bastardy.” As it is used by the anti-abortion movement, value is given to the life of unborn children without taking into consideration the reality of the many children who are born without the adequate loving support they need and deserve. How is it right to support birth without supporting life after birth?

In the 1960s, Thailand implemented a unique voluntary family-planning program which reduced population growth from 3% to below 1% in just twenty years. The expansion of family-planning programs and information led to a substantial decline in fertility rates. The program utilized a playful approach in their promotion of contraceptives and was able to successfully break taboos and clarify misconceptions.

In August of 2019, Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi called for population control, saying small families are an act of patriotism. There are models already in existence that we can draw on to design programs that can help reduce population growth.

Of course, there needs to be research into birth-control methods that have fewer side effects . . . methods that are less invasive and less disturbing to a woman’s hormonal balance. If our government can allocate a $25 billion budget for NASA in 2021, then surely we can afford to research and develop safe, effective birth control methods for both men and women. Imagine if men were the ones giving birth. I think we would have developed more advanced methods than the ones we currently use. It is only fair that men should equally share the responsibility of birth control . . . at the very least. A vasectomy is generally a simple, effective and inexpensive procedure with minimal side effects, whereas a tubal ligation carries higher risk, requires anesthesia, is more invasive, and does not prevent ectopic pregnancy. For many reasons, it makes much more sense for the man to take the initiative to choose a vasectomy, especially since reversing the procedure is not as complicated or dangerous as it would be for a woman to choose to reverse a tubal ligation. In the US, fewer men choose to have a vasectomy than in other industrialized countries. There would need to be a campaign to challenge the cultural image of masculinity being somehow lessened by choosing a vasectomy.

When my husband chose to get a vasectomy, it made sex much more pleasurable for me because the fear of getting pregnant was dispelled. Because I had bad experiences with both birth control pills and IUD’s, I chose a diaphragm with gel spermicide as my method of contraception. Having to go through that kind of preparation was definitely a distracting, inconvenient process, and, even then, worry was always in the back of my mind. Not worrying about the risk of pregnancy can be very liberating. A partner with a vasectomy is a gift to any woman, and in the end benefits the man who makes that choice. It’s your turn to share the responsibility, men! We have to start in our own country to change perceptions and practices if we hope to influence other countries to follow our lead.

UN population projections show nine countries will make up more than half of the projected growth of global population between now and 2050. These countries, in descending order of increase are India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt, and the US. The population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to double by 2050. (a 99% increase) The second highest growth is expected in Asia.⁶⁵ Poverty is a reality in many of the countries with the fastest growing populations. When the mortality rate of children is high, and when people cannot rely on the state to support them, they tend to have larger families to ensure a means of support. In addition, many traditions value larger families, and those expectations become internalized. In Niger, women’s stated desired family size is ten children.

Obviously, there are many factors that influence birth rates, so providing education and access to birth control is only one step toward reducing population. As I have said numerous times before, cultural and religious beliefs need to be addressed, as well as poverty. Education, gender equality, and the empowerment of women are key to seeing birth rates fall. The inequity and corruption that accompanies capitalistic growth needs to be addressed.

Environmental destruction is the primary problem that we face, and people are the primary cause of that destruction. There are a multitude of issues that demand our attention and cooperation. Looking at our current global chaos, it appears that things will need to get worse before we humans will actually have the will to change. Structures are necessarily breaking down so that new ways of living can emerge. It has been suggested that a large proportion of the world could be kept totally wild and pristine, the only inhabitants being the indigenous people of that area. Imagine if half the world could be set aside to preserve biodiversity and forests . . . no construction or resource extraction, no tourism (or very controlled ecotourism), and preserved migratory lanes. We could move towards establishing a predominantly plant based diet, and replacing our industrial farming with regenerative agriculture. Every possible strategy needs to be pursued simultaneously. It is time for us to harness our imaginations to find creative ways to preserve the Earth.

Communities not based on a biological family will need to be created to fill our very real need for connection and community. I recently watched a movie called Communities of Hope: Discovering the Ecovillages of Europe.⁶⁶ It was very inspiring to see people working together to find simpler and more harmonious ways to live in community with respect for the Earth. Certainly, we will need to be able to work together as a global community if we are to survive.

Those of us who have not lost hope must continue to educate ourselves, to share our ideas, and to find active ways to participate in the visualization and creation of a world that honors the planet and all its life forms.