Links and Further Reading
Here are some websites and other resources that we recommend for further information about population issues. This list is not intended to be comprehensive, but will serve as a starting point for futher investigation.
- Arithmetic, Population, and Energy
- In this classic video, Al Bartlett demonstrates clearly the ramifications of constant (percentage) growth over time. A must-see!
- Chris Martenson's Crash Course
- This compelling video seminar describes the interdependence of our economy, environment, and energy systems and the limits of our present economic model of infinite growth on a planet with finite resources.
- Earth Policy Institute
- Lester Brown's organization is "dedicated to providing a vision of an environmentally sustainable economy -- an eco-economy -- as well as a roadmap of how to get from here to there."
- Global Footprint Network
- Calculate how much land is required to sustain your lifestyle on this Web site, and learn more about your e ecological footprint.
- Learning to Think Environmentally While there is Still Time by Lester Milbrath
- This pocket-sized textbook presents the basics of environmental thinking in a very approachable format.
- The MegaPenny Project
- This beautifully crafted site helps readers visualize numbers as large as a quintillion by representing them as stacks of pennies. It's a great teaching tool!
- Optimum Population Trust
- OPT is a UK-based green think tank which carries out research on environmentally sustainable population levels and campaigns for a lower population for the UK, Europe and the world as a whole.
- Outgrowing the Earth by Lester R. Brown
- In this groundbreaking work, Lester Brown documents the ways that human demands are outstripping the earth's natural capacities-and how the resulting environmental damage is undermining food production. Brown investigates these issues and outlines the steps needed to secure future food supplies. The entire book is available for reading online as well as for purchase on paper.
- Plan B 4.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble by Lester R. Brown
- This bestseller calls for a worldwide mobilization to stabilize population and climate before they spiral out of control. It provides a plan for sustaining economic progress worldwide. The entire book is available for reading online as well as for purchase on paper.
- POPClocks
- This U.S. Census Bureau page provides two of the more authoritative population counters on the Web, one for the world's population and one for the U.S. You'll also find links to population projections for the near past and near future. This is where we get the estimates of Current Population for our newsletter!
- United Nations Population Fund
- The UNFPA is the branch of the United Nations concerned with stabilizing population worldwide. In 1999 they coordinated the "Y6B" (Year of 6 Billion) awareness campaign. Since the 1994 summit in Cairo emphasized the importance of civil and human rights for women, the UNFPA has accordingly shifted its focus.
- United Nations Population Information Network
- This Web site is an excellent source for statistics and other information about world population and related issues.
- World in the Balance: The People Paradox
- This episode of Nova, which aired April 20, 2004, gives a solid introduction to the current impacts of population growth, with an emphasis on the United States, Japan, China, India, and Kenya. Interactive portions of the Web site allow you to become more engaged with the information. Lesson plans and role-playing exercises are also provided for teachers.
- World Vital Events
- This page shows the U.S. Census Bureau's best estimates of the current world birth rate, death rate, and population growth rate, shown per year, month, day, hour, minute, and second.