Environmental Studies: Ethics, Ideas and Nature: Population & Consumption

Jean Tepperman discusses the difficulties that women face, and often the weight that is put onto them, in regard to population control. “It Is anti-woman and anti-life to pressure women into having fewer children or to make us feel guilty for wanting them. We must be free to decide either to have children or not to have them” (Tepperman, page 3). The author argues that free and safe birth control and abortion must be available for all women, but brings to light that even when they are available, women are controlled under the disguise of support. When talking about U.S. or U.S. sponsored population control programs in third world countries, Tepperman says “it was clear to these women (who had used these programs) that the people in their countries are not starving because there are too many, but because the wealth and resources of their lands are owned by the few and drained off by countries like the U.S…Hunger is not caused by overpopulation…hunger is caused by exploitation” (Tepperman, Page 3). This perfectly illustrates what we discussed in our readings about the term ‘overpopulation’. The problem facing our planet is not a possible increasing number of people in poor countries, it is increasing wealth in already wealthy countries. These poor countries already face most of the consequences of the actions taken by wealthy countries, and now the wealthy countries look to slow population growth (with programs like Tepperman mentions) in the name of saving the planet in places which have little impact on the health or available resources of the planet. - Annotation by Aleksa Mehmediovic, Spring 2023

Sepulveda describes how a legacy of colonialism has disrupted our sacred connection with water. By focusing on the Santa Ana River in California, Sepulveda analyzes how a history of Spanish colonization in the region has played a role in desecrating a once perennial river. The colonial mindset views the river as something to be domesticated and consumed by humans. When prioritizing this colonial mindset, Sepulveda argues that it allows for the degradation of natural resources because there is no sacred connection to nature that would hedge against this degradation. In doing so, the colonial mindset prioritizes present actions, rather than recognizing the significance of the past in sustaining the future.
Sepulveda’s perspective provides a decolonial solution to this problem with the concept of “Kuuyam.” Representing the Tongva word for “guest,” Kuuyam works to re-indigenize our connection with water. This framework gives us the capacity to view ourselves as guests of the land, rather than possessing the capacity to control it. Instead of thinking about life through the lens of colonial hierarchy and property, Kuuyam argues that no one is justified in owning and domesticating the sacred water that nature has offered us. This model orients humans on the same level as other forms of life, rather than placing the need for human consumption ahead of broader life. - Annotation by Ryan Corrigan, Spring 2023

In this article, Mytheli Sreenivas provides an extensive history of the debate over India’s population growth as far back as the late 18th c. Whilst recounting this detailed history, Sreenivas revisits the views of notable economists, politicians, and activists on the matter. Viewing the author’s research, it is apparent that India's rate of population growth was lower than the worldwide average until the late 1940s, when Britain relinquished their colonial rule. The newly appointed Indian leadership then shifted the nation’s focus to economic development in hopes that population growth would remain static. With an increased rate of production, the unchecked population continued to grow sustainably until 1965 when the country fell under a drought and faced widespread famine. The US then agreed to send aid to India, but only if they agreed to take concrete steps towards curbing their population growth. These steps, while effective, were far too inhumane and led to Indira Gandhi being voted out of office. As the government shied away from undertaking any further actions to control the population and The Green Revolution kicked into high gear, the Indian population began to explode. Matters were made worse by the fact that farming jobs were lost out to the efficient system of factory farming introduced by the Green Revolution.
Dr. Mytheli Sreenivas is The Associate Professor of History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the Ohio State University. She has also authored a considerable body of work that details India’s history of population growth and population control such as Reproductive Politics and the Making of Modern India. Considering these milestones, I am confident that she is a reliable source in this area. Although this article was written in 2009, it still has ample value as a chronicle of India’s history of population growth. - Annotation by Nick Swaney, Spring 2023

The Overpopulation Podcast, produced by non-profit organization Population Balance, discusses how our expanding population impacts human rights, animal protection, environmental sustainability, and individual and collective solutions. This episode interviews Nandita Bajaj, an Indian-Canadian woman who researches pronatalism and human supremacy and their impacts on reproductive, ecological, and intergenerational justice. In this podcast, Nandita argues that both overconsumption and overpopulation are connected issues, and that it is destructive to humans and the living world to see unequal consumption as justification to render overpopulation not an issue. This source adds unique perspective on why overpopulation is not only a major problem, but why we must bring it back into the discourse surrounding overconsumption and the human footprint.
Nandita approaches overpopulation from a justice-oriented perspective, reinforcing that overpopulation is an ethical dilemma that is intimately connected to overconsumption. Nandita counters the idea that unequal consumption is the culprit for climate change and abject poverty in the global south, but that it is rather a mix of population growth and materialism. She further argues that not stabilizing the population through humane methods is a human rights issue and encourages more environmental degradation. I recommend this source because it provides a unique perspective on the ethical dilemma of overpopulation; it recognizes that the human population is far above its carrying capacity but does so with a strong concern for human rights, animal protection, biodiversity, and reproductive justice. - Annotation by Anonymous, Spring 2023

Baochang Gu, Feng Wang, and Yong Cai discuss how China’s one-child policy came into place in 1980 and was only supposed to be temporary yet was not lifted until 2016. The policy was put in place to decrease population growth while helping the economy grow. During that time families were only allowed to have one child, anyone who broke the policy would risk being fined or jailed. The authors argue that the policy was put into place without any real research happening about the cause and effects of such a policy. If the government had acknowledged the importance of family planning services and given women an important role when it came to reproductive decisions such a costly public policy-making mistake would not have happened. There is now a new level of importance when it comes to re-educating family planning and health services for families in China (Gu).
This source adds a new perspective on how a country tried to solve overpopulation by limiting the number of children allowed per family and how that policy is still affecting the country today. It reinforces the importance of education especially when it comes to making a decision that not only affects yourself but a whole country. Women being allowed to make
choices about their bodies when it comes to reproductive rights has always been important and this article provides an example of just how important. I recommend this source because it allows us to analyze a country that took the rights of its people away trying to fix the economy and population and now we can see all of the effects. - Annotation by Shelbey Hagedorn, Fall 2023

This source discusses how different countries are implementing policies to reduce the amount of waste that ends in landfills. A program in the Philippines aims to turn garbage from landfills into construction materials for new homes and organic fertilizers. Japan’s Environmental Ministry has a program that aims to increase the number of facilities that produce power from incinerating combustible garbage by 50%. The Netherlands implemented a plan to recycle disposable diapers instead of incinerating them. In Ghana, an organization is creating bags out of the plastic found on the streets of Ghana. Finally, the United States is trying to expand the recycling programs of electronics and educate citizens on the hazards of sending electronics to landfills.

This source would fill a gap that I believe exists in the current course. We only talk about consumption for one day and only have the readings of one author to give us reference. Ana Barber's discussion on fast fashion is something I believe is important, but doesn't offer any real solutions other than not participating in the fast fashion industry. We don't explicitly discuss the effects of what our consumption does the environment and I believe that could be a great asset to this course. The reason I recommend this source is it is one of the biggest reasons I try to reduce, recycle, and reuse and do my own individual part of helping the environment. - Annotation by Philip Berube, Fall 2023

In the TedTalk “Overpopulation Facts - the problem no one will discuss” Alexandra Paul talks about the issues with human overpopulation and how she believes we can resolve the crisis. According to the actress, we need to transform the negative cultural attitudes about the Only Child and celebrate the short and long-term benefits of small families. One way to do so is through the education, empowerment of women, and retiring of biology through strong cultural messaging. Alexandra Paul and her husband have decided to not get kids because of their concern for the future population.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of wealthy countries trying to solve the issue because the nations often use many more resources than developing countries. In the presentation, she states: “For everyone to have the quality of life, the number of humans on Earth needs to go down”. The quote and argument relate to Jonathan Thompson and Garrett Hardin who believe population growth is a problem because it uses up resources. The advocates also emphasize the importance of educating the population on the problem. However, Alexandra Paul is the only one to suggest small families as a solution to the problem. I would recommend this TedTalk to others because I think the actress successfully adds another perspective to the debate. The use of facts, as well as her own experience as a woman choosing not to have children, enhances the credibility of her argument, and she also accommodates counterarguments. - Annotation by Anonymous, Spring 2023

In this video of a lecture given at the Garrison Institute’s Climate, Buildings and Behavior Symposium, Dr. Shahzeen Attari discusses her research on human behavior and energy consumption. She explains how various psychological factors, such as optimism bias and social norms, influence individual and collective energy-related decisions. Attari also discusses the implications of her research for developing effective policies and interventions to reduce energy consumption and mitigate climate change. One of the discoveries from her research notes how the majority of people themselves want easier tasks and recommend harder tasks to other people when it comes to energy saving consumption. This trait has been highlighted in one of our class readings where western countries blame Africa and the global south for population increase but won’t change their lifestyle to decrease global energy consumption. Furthermore, she notes that we can correct perceptions of energy consumption using real time feedback. Real time feedback would allow for people to analyze the amount of money they are saving by adapting towards an efficient lifestyle. - Annotation by Rohan Patel, Spring 2023

This article, written by Dr. Céline Delacroix from the University of Ottawa’s School of Health Sciences highlights the overlap between reproductive freedom and environmental sustainability. This article was published months after the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. Delacroix highlights that there is well-documented proof that when reproductive rights are fulfilled, fertility levels decrease. Delacroix lists some of the interventions that are likely to have long-lasting positive effects, such as education for girls and women, comprehensive sexuality education, and the expression of women’s rights. Delacroix’s perspective as a professor with extensive research regarding population health and equity and social justice make her a prime subject to discuss the issues of overpopulation and reproductive freedom. The recent overturning of abortion rights in the United States makes this conversation more relevant, and her connection between overpopulation and women’s rights encourages an interdisciplinary and intersectional way of viewing reproductive rights. - Annotation by Avery Mohn, Spring 2023