The population explosion of the human race in the last seventy years may be the most important issue we face today. And this unprecedented growth is clearly a result of fossil fuel use.

There is great sensitivity surrounding this issue. Many people feel to limit population growth is an intrusion on a basic right of humanity. We agree that no government or institution should regulate the number of children people choose to have, whether through taxation or any other means. Nor should we encourage it.

However, as is discussed in the film, it is completely unnecessary to do so. Simply empowering women to have equal rights both socially and economically, stabilizes population.

And why shouldn’t we want equal rights for all humanity? This is a simple solution to what is undeniably a problem for the earth, our biosphere and other species, as the film covers at length. And not only can it create a better earth, it brings equal rights to a half of humanity that has historically been denied such rights.

The second argument often presented is that we, the western world, the most voracious consumers on the planet, should not be asking less economically developed countries to have less children in order for there to be less consumption on our planet. And this is completely understandable. The western world, the so-called economically developed countries, must lead by reducing energy consumption. These countries must stop the inequitable use of fossil fuels. And we must all work to empower women and end poverty and hunger, rather than asking these nations to curb population growth. Because then it will happen naturally and fairly.

If this topic is important to you, find out what you can do in the POPULATION IMPACT section.