Letter to the Editor

• NPG
• April 13, 2021
• NPG Commentary
• 4 Comments

April 8, 2021

Star Tribune
650 3rd Ave. South, Suite 1300
Minneapolis, MN 55488

To the Editor:

           In response to your article titled What the World Needs Now Is More People, I submit this rebuttal.  Let us first clarify a few key points from the letter by Mr. Tyler Cowen.  A reduction in fertility rates does not equate to a smaller population.  Lower fertility rates simply mean that women are having, on average, fewer babies.  It does not mean that there are no new babies in any given time frame.  Fast or slow, high or low, any population growth still amounts to more people.  Mr. Cowen’s article states that “By the year 2100, according to one projection, world population growth will be practically zero.”  What he failed to mention is that between now and 2100 we will likely add 3.2 billion people to our already overpopulated world, reaching a total projected population of 10.9 billion people on the planet, according to the United Nations Population Division. 

           Referring to this decline in fertility, Mr. Cowen continues his commentary and makes the most provocative statement in the entire piece: “If you think the world is overpopulated and has serious environmental problems, you might welcome this news.”  I most certainly welcome that news!  The world is terribly overpopulated and humanity faces environmental challenges beyond what most can even comprehend at this point.

           Negative Population Growth is a national non-profit membership organization founded in 1972 to educate all Americans, including our nation’s political leaders and others in influential positions, regarding the long-term effects of population growth on our environment, natural resources, and overall quality of life.  NPG focuses primarily on U.S. population size and growth, but we do evaluate trends in world population.  NPG calls for a slow and gradual reduction in our population size until we reach a smaller, truly sustainable, level.  We have always advocated for voluntary incentives to reduce fertility rates – such as access to birth control and broader educational opportunities for women – as well as limits on the number of immigrants we allow to settle in the U.S. each year.  Growth in world population will likely lead to even greater pressure on our immigration system as more and more people from around the world – from the nations that are growing to unsustainably large numbers – will desire to leave those overpopulated places in the hopes of a better life elsewhere.

           We should not worry about a “slow down” in population growth.  It is, after all, exactly what our planet needs.  It would enable all nations to begin to repair the environmental damage from the last several decades when world population grew from 4 billion in about 1974 to more than 7.7 billion today.  While we may now be growing slower than before, we are still growing, adding more than 80 million people to the planet each year.

           Many will argue that we are growing by “only” about 1% percent per year, so why should we be concerned?  Even if we reduce that growth rate down to only half its current value, if we reach a world population of 10.9 billion people, we would still be adding 50 million new people to the planet every year at the “low” rate!  That’s 50 million new people to feed, clothe, house, educate, and employ.  They will need fresh water to drink, clean air to breath, and green space to enjoy.  Worst of all, they will be contributing to our environmental degradation as they consume limited resources and emit more pollution into the air, further exacerbating our planet’s growing climate crisis.

           Let’s not be fooled by the media headlines.  Slow or fast, all growth amounts to more people who will need more resources than our planet can provide.  With a population of 7.7 billion, our world is already vastly overpopulated.  We most definitely do not need more people!

Sincerely,

Craig Lewis
Executive Vice President
NPG
www.npg.org

4 Comments to “Letter to the Editor”

• Henry

  April 14, 2021

  Excessive population in the U. S. is even worse since our Country is highly advanced. We have water shortages in our Southwest, Overcrowded Schools especially in Large Cities, unemployed Americans, etc. We cannot continue to absorb Millions more people especially low or uneducated, people with criminal backgrounds, Covid Spreading etc. Way beyond time to cut back on Immigration & secure OUR Borders.

• Tom Brinkman

  April 14, 2021

  This author of the article in the MPLS tar Tribune overlooks the VERY REAL full 4-dimensional ceiling limitations of air, water, food, general resources on Good Ship Earth !!!!!

• Greeley Miklashek

  April 14, 2021

  Thanks, Craig, and well stated! Gregg

• Mary Dolhancey

  April 14, 2021

  Thank you for this response.