Population Balance

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Population Balance (formerly World Population Balance) is a non-profit organization in the United States that raises awareness of the connections between pronatalism, human supremacy, social inequalities, and ecological overshoot, and advocates for solutions to address their combined impacts on the planet, people, and animals.[1][2]

History and background[edit]

Population Balance was founded by David Paxson[3][4][5] as World Population Balance in 1993.[1] He was succeeded as the executive director in 2016 by Dave Gardner[6][7]. In 2021 Nandita Bajaj[8][9] became executive director and the organization adopted its current name of Population Balance and a new vision, mission, and philosophy[10]. Notable past and present advisors include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, former Governor of Michigan William Milliken, originator of the "ecological footprint" concept William E. Rees, actress and activist Alexandra Paul, and physicist Albert Allen Bartlett.

Philosophy[edit]

Tagline[edit]

Shrink Toward Abundance[10]

Vision[edit]

Population Balance envisions a future where human's footprint is in balance with life on Earth, enabling all species to thrive.[10]

Mission[edit]

Population Balance's mission is to inspire narrative, behavioral, and system change that shrinks our human impact and elevates the rights and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet.[10]

Approach[edit]

Population Balance is the only organization globally that uses a humane education[8] lens to address ecological overshoot by advocating for solutions that elevate social, ecological, and intergenerational justice. Their pillars[2] are:

  • Beyond pronatalism toward liberated choices: Empowering people to make liberated and informed choices for themselves, their families, and the planet, including adopting broader understandings of “family” with our human and nonhuman kin.
  • Beyond human supremacy toward ecocentrism: Advocating for a radical shift in our relationship with all animals and with the entire natural world: from one of domination and exploitation, to one of reverence, justice, and care.
  • Beyond social inequalities toward social justice: Challenging the unjust and growth-driven social, political, and economic systems that exploit and disempower human communities and threaten all life on Earth.    

Activities[edit]

Population Balance uses the humane education[8] framework for its outreach activities that help draw the connections between pronatalism, overpopulation, human supremacy, and ecological collapse and promote urgently needed solutions. Activities include The Overpopulation Podcast,[11] classroom and conference presentations,[12][13][14][15] academic and media publications, and media and podcast interviews.[16][17][18]

The Overpopulation Podcast[edit]

The Overpopulation Podcast is released twice monthly and is ranked in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally.[19] The podcast hosts interview expert guests to explore the drivers and impacts of ecological overshoot as well as individual and collective solutions. Notable guests have included Mechai Viravaidya, Riane Eisler, Paul Ehrlich, Alan Weisman, Naomi Oreskes, William E. Rees, Angela Saini, Partha Dasgupta, Carl Safina, Richard Heinberg, Orna Donath, Robert Jensen, Jo-Anne McArthur, Robert Engelman, Malcolm Potts, Alexandra Paul, Kevin Bales, and Vegard Skirbekk.

Academic publications[edit]

Population Balance staff make regular contributions in academic publications on the subjects of ecological overshoot, pronatalism,[20] and critical animal studies,[21] and in 2024 co-authored a World Scientists' Warning to Humanity[22] paper.

Media appearances[edit]

Population Balance’s work has appeared in a variety of media, including The Globe and Mail,[23] National Post,[24] CBC Radio,[25] The Guardian,[26] The Washington Post,[27] Ms. Magazine,[28][29] Newsweek,[30][31][32] The Christian Science Monitor,[33] Truthdig,[34][35] CounterPunch,[36] Inter Press Service,[37][38] Wisconsin Public Radio,[39] and Radio Paradise.[9]

Charity evaluation[edit]

Population Balance has a 4-star rating through Charity Navigator[40] and a Platinum transparency rating through Candid (Guidestar).[41]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b ProPublica (1993-05-01). "World Population Balance". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  2. ^ a b "Population Balance". Population Balance. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  3. ^ PBS (2000-12-21). "Small World Discussion". PBS: Newsnight Minnesota. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  4. ^ Wig, Andrew (2013-02-28). "Richfield man a lonely voice against overpopulation". Sun Current. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  5. ^ The Messenger (2013-04-25). "How to solve overpopulation". The Messenger. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  6. ^ Foster, David (2020-03-22). "Birth Strike: Can going childless help the planet?". TRT World Roundtable. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  7. ^ Gemmell, Edmund (2020-11-12). "Why Population Cant be Ignored". Scientists Warning Europe. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  8. ^ a b c Weil, Zoe (2021-09-02). "We need to talk about human overpopulation: An interview with Nandita Bajaj". Institute for Humane Education. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  9. ^ a b Goldsmith, William; Goldsmith, Alanna; Cunningham, Josh (2024-04-04). "No Vacancy feat Nandita Bajaj". Radio Paradise. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  10. ^ a b c d "Philosophy | Population Balance". Population Balance. 2021-05-01. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  11. ^ Apple Podcasts (2016-08-01). "The Overpopulation Podcast". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  12. ^ Mobius Foundation (2023-09-30). "International Conference on Sustainability Education 2023". Mobius Foundation. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  13. ^ The Center for Biological Diversity (2021-06-25). "Film Screening and Discussion: "8 Billion Angels"". The Center for Biological Diversity. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  14. ^ University of Denver (2024-02-21). "Confronting Pronatalism and Human Supremacy: The Key to Advancing Reproductive and Animal Rights". Strum College of Law, University of Denver. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  15. ^ Bajaj, Nandita (2022-11-16). "Challenging Pronatalism is Key to Advancing Reproductive Liberation and Planetary Health". 2022 International Conference on Family Planning.
  16. ^ Donald, Rachel (2023-03-15). "How Pronatalism Feeds The Economy | Nandita Bajaj". Planet: Critical. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  17. ^ Perková, Veronika (2022-10-26). "Pronatalism: Outdated, Unfair, and Unsustainable in a World of 8 Billion". Population 8 Billion | Population Media Center. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  18. ^ Woodhouse, Jamie (2021-09-29). ""Think of what reverence really means" with Nandita Bajaj of Population Balance". Sentientism. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  19. ^ Listen Notes (2016-08-01). "The Overpopulation Podcast". Listen Notes. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  20. ^ Bajaj, Nandita; Stade, Kirsten (2023-02-03). "Challenging Pronatalism Is Key to Advancing Reproductive Rights and a Sustainable Population". The Journal of Population and Sustainability. 7 (1): 39–70. doi:10.3197/JPS.63799953906861. ISSN 2398-5496.
  21. ^ Poirier, Nathan; Tomasello, Sarah; George, Amber E., eds. (2023-12-18). Expanding the Critical Animal Studies Imagination. Peter Lang Verlag. doi:10.3726/b21322. ISBN 978-1-63667-075-1.
  22. ^ Merz, Joseph J; Barnard, Phoebe; Rees, William E; Smith, Dane; Maroni, Mat; Rhodes, Christopher J; Dederer, Julia H; Bajaj, Nandita; Joy, Michael K; Wiedmann, Thomas; Sutherland, Rory (2023-09-20). "World scientists' warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot". Science Progress. 106 (3). doi:10.1177/00368504231201372. ISSN 0036-8504. PMC 10515534. PMID 37728669.
  23. ^ Bielski, Zosia (2022-01-14). "Amplify: Pope Francis's criticism of childless couples hurts parents and nonparents alike". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  24. ^ Kirkey, Sharon (2023-01-27). "The new push for more babies: How tech elites think it will save the planet". The National Post. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  25. ^ McDonald, Bob (2022-11-12). "Next week there will be 8 billion of us, and that's already too many". CBC Radio: Quirks and Quarks. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  26. ^ Bajaj, Nandita (2023-08-13). "Reproductive rights are under threat". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  27. ^ Bajaj, Nandita; Stade, Kirsten (2022-02-22). "The Baby Bust is Good for the Planet". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  28. ^ Bajaj, Nandita (2022-06-07). "Abortion Bans Are a Natural Outgrowth of Coercive Pronatalism". Ms. Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  29. ^ Stade, Kirsten (2022-07-11). "I Am Not a Slave to the Biological Clock". Ms. Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  30. ^ Bajaj, Nandita (2023-02-28). "Coercive Birth Policies Have Devastating Impacts on People and the Planet". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  31. ^ Stade, Kirsten (2023-06-13). "Saying Out Loud What Others Won't Even Whisper About Climate Change". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  32. ^ Stade, Kirsten (2023-10-18). "Technology Won't Save Us From Global Warming, but This Just Might". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  33. ^ Francis, David R. (2009-01-26). "Can Obama's family-planning policies help the economy?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  34. ^ Ketcham, Christopher (2023-12-06). "Too Much? Too Little? Too Late?". Truthdig. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  35. ^ Ketcham, Christopher (2024-01-18). "The Seasons of Death for Wild Horses". Truthdig. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  36. ^ Bajaj, Nandita (2023-10-06). "The Rise of Pronatalism". CounterPunch. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  37. ^ Bajaj, Nandita (2023-05-10). "Population Growth is Not Good for People or the Planet". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  38. ^ Stade, Kirsten (2023-05-25). "Population Denialism is Reminiscent of Climate Denialism". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  39. ^ Archer Kent, Kate (2023-08-02). "A Minnesota nonprofit's solutions to human overpopulation". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  40. ^ Charity Navigator (2024-02-21). "Population Balance". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  41. ^ Candid (2024-01-15). "Population Balance". Candid (Guidestar). Retrieved 2024-04-19.

External links[edit]

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