Back in the sixties when the environmental movement was a budding idea, population growth was talked about, and zero population growth—ZPG—a goal for many. Then the religious right came to the fore and rightly or wrongly ZPG came to be associated with birth control, abortions and other measures many felt were against their faith. The rationale was that the Bible said “Be fruitful and multiply”, The Lord would provide ergo population control was therefore an issue for liberals and other secular humanists. Now, decades later with deeper understanding of several issues including what threatens the environment, with a new emphasis on carbon footprints, water scarcity and food shortages, the issue of overpopulation—slated to be 9 billion by mid century—is once more gaining traction. Some even call it the elephant in the room.
It’s a hopeful sign. Let’s hope the traction gains momentum.
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