The letter is found at the bottom.
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The author uses the occasion of the holiday season to drop a downer on us. He believes that "we" need to control the size of the population. However, he does not tell us who "we" is, or how "we" should accomplish this. Nor does he tell us who should be controlled.
In fact, it seems that the author is communicating nothing more than vague platitudes, coupled with moralizing about what he considers "pro-life."
1 China 1,395,590,000 18.2%
2 India 1,340,520,000 17.5%
3 United States 328,303,000 4.28%
4 Indonesia 265,015,300 3.46%
5 Brazil 209,946,000 2.74%
6 Pakistan 202,917,000 2.65%
7 Nigeria 193,392,517 2.52%
8 Bangladesh 165,660,000 2018 2.16%
9 Russia 146,877,088 1.92%
10 Japan 126,450,000 1.65%
Below is a ranking of birth rates for all the nations. The reader will note that the United States is ranked 157 out of 225. Thus it is approximately in the bottom third of all countries.
The reader will also note that the top 100 nations are largely people of color, specifically, black. Would it be out of bounds to suggest that the population control advocates are specifically interested in reducing the number of those who are people of color?
Rank/Country/Birth rate (births/1,000 population1 Angola 44.2
2 Niger 44.2
3 Mali 43.9
4 Uganda 42.9
5 Zambia 41.5
6 Burundi 41.3
7 Burkina Faso 41.2
8 Malawi 41
9 Somalia 39.6
10 Liberia 38.3
11 Mozambique 38.1
12 Afghanistan 37.9
13 Nigeria 36.9
14 Ethiopia 36.5
15 Sierra Leone 36.3
16 Tanzania 35.6
17 Chad 35.6
18 South Sudan 35.5
19 Cameroon 35.4
20 Guinea 35.1
21 Benin 35
22 Congo, Republic of the 34.4
23 Central African Republic 34.3
24 Gabon 34.2
25 Zimbabwe 34.2
26 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 33.5
27 East Timor 33.4
28 Senegal 33.4
29 Togo 33.3
30 Guinea-Bissau 32.5
31 Sao Tome and Principe 32.4
32 Equatorial Guinea 32.2
33 Madagascar 31.6
34 Gaza Strip 31.4
35 Rwanda 30.7
36 Ghana 30.5
37 Iraq 30.4
38 Mauritania 30.4
39 Eritrea 29.6
40 Egypt 29.6
41 Gambia, The 29.4
42 Western Sahara 29.3
43 Yemen 28.4
44 Sudan 27.9
45 Cote d'Ivoire 27.7
46 Namibia 27.3
47 West Bank 26.3
48 Comoros 26.1
49 Solomon Islands 24.9
50 Lesotho 24.6
51 Marshall Islands 24.4
52 Guatemala 24.1
53 Belize 24
54 Nauru 24
55 Vanuatu 24
56 Oman 24
57 Swaziland 24
58 Jordan 23.9
59 Kenya 23.9
60 Philippines 23.7
61 Papua New Guinea 23.7
62 Tuvalu 23.7
63 Laos 23.6
64 Djibouti 23.4
65 Tajikistan 23.3
66 Cambodia 23
67 Haiti 23
68 Honduras 22.4
69 Algeria 22.2
70 Tonga 22.2
71 Botswana 22.1
72 Kyrgyzstan 22.1
73 Bolivia 22
74 Pakistan 21.9
75 Syria 21.2
76 Kiribati 21.2
77 Samoa 20.4
78 South Africa 20.2
79 Cape Verde 20
80 Micronesia, Federated States of 20
81 Guam 19.7
82 American Samoa 19.6
83 Nepal 19.5
84 Kuwait 19.2
85 Malaysia 19.1
86 Turkmenistan 19.1
87 India 19
88 Mongolia 18.9
89 Bangladesh 18.8
90 Venezuela 18.8
91 Fiji 18.6
92 Dominican Republic 18.4
93 Saudi Arabia 18.3
94 Mexico 18.3
95 Tunisia 18.2
96 Burma 18.1
97 Kazakhstan 18.1
98 Israel 18.1
99 Iran 17.9
100 Jamaica 17.9
101 Ecuador 17.9
102 Panama 17.9
103 Peru 17.8
104 Nicaragua 17.7
105 Morocco 17.7
106 Libya 17.5
107 Bhutan 17.3
108 Brunei 17
109 Uzbekistan 16.8
110 Argentina 16.7
111 Paraguay 16.6
112 El Salvador 16.2
113 Indonesia 16.2
114 Colombia 16.1
115 Maldives 16.1
116 Suriname 15.8
117 Azerbaijan 15.8
118 Antigua and Barbuda 15.7
119 Turkey 15.7
120 Vietnam 15.5
121 Costa Rica 15.5
122 Grenada 15.5
123 Guyana 15.4
124 Bahamas, The 15.3
125 Turks and Caicos Islands 15.3
126 Sri Lanka 15.2
127 Dominica 15.1
128 United Arab Emirates 15.1
129 New Caledonia 15
130 Northern Mariana Islands 15
131 French Polynesia 14.8
132 Korea, North 14.6
133 Greenland 14.4
134 Lebanon 14.3
135 Faroe Islands 14.3
136 Ireland 14.1
137 Brazil 14.1
138 Cook Islands 14
139 Gibraltar 14
140 Iceland 13.7
141 Curacao 13.7
142 Seychelles 13.7
143 Chile 13.6
144 Bahrain 13.3
145 Saint Lucia 13.3
146 Saint Kitts and Nevis 13.2
147 New Zealand 13.2
148 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.2
149 Wallis and Futuna 13.2
150 Albania 13.2
151 Sint Maarten 13.1
152 Uruguay 13
153 Mauritius 13
154 Armenia 12.9
155 Virgin Islands 12.8
156 Trinidad and Tobago 12.7
157 United States 12.5
158 Anguilla 12.5
159 Aruba 12.4
160 Jersey 12.4
161 Georgia 12.3
162 China 12.3
163 France 12.2
164 Norway 12.2
165 United Kingdom 12.1
166 Sweden 12.1
167 Australia 12.1
168 Cayman Islands 12
169 Barbados 11.7
170 Moldova 11.5
171 Luxembourg 11.5
172 Macedonia 11.4
173 Bermuda 11.3
174 Belgium 11.3
175 Palau 11.3
176 British Virgin Islands 11.1
177 Russia 11
178 Thailand 11
179 Isle of Man 11
180 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 10.9
181 Netherlands 10.9
182 Montserrat 10.8
183 Finland 10.7
184 Cuba 10.7
185 Denmark 10.5
186 Switzerland 10.5
187 Liechtenstein 10.4
188 Canada 10.3
189 Belarus 10.3
190 Ukraine 10.3
191 Estonia 10.1
192 Malta 10.1
193 Montenegro 10
194 Lithuania 9.9
195 Guernsey 9.8
196 Latvia 9.7
197 Slovakia 9.7
198 Saint Helena 9.6
199 Qatar 9.6
200 Poland 9.5
201 Austria 9.5
202 Czech Republic 9.3
203 Spain 9.2
204 Portugal 9
205 Serbia 9
206 Hungary 9
207 Croatia 8.9
208 Hong Kong 8.9
209 Romania 8.9
210 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.8
211 Bulgaria 8.7
212 Italy 8.6
213 Germany 8.6
214 Macau 8.6
215 San Marino 8.6
216 Singapore 8.6
217 Greece 8.4
218 Korea, South 8.3
219 Taiwan 8.3
220 Slovenia 8.2
221 Puerto Rico 8.1
222 Japan 7.7
223 Andorra 7.5
224 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7.1
225 Monaco 6.6
Rank/Country/Birth rate (births/1,000 population1 Angola 44.2
2 Niger 44.2
3 Mali 43.9
4 Uganda 42.9
5 Zambia 41.5
6 Burundi 41.3
7 Burkina Faso 41.2
8 Malawi 41
9 Somalia 39.6
10 Liberia 38.3
11 Mozambique 38.1
12 Afghanistan 37.9
13 Nigeria 36.9
14 Ethiopia 36.5
15 Sierra Leone 36.3
16 Tanzania 35.6
17 Chad 35.6
18 South Sudan 35.5
19 Cameroon 35.4
20 Guinea 35.1
21 Benin 35
22 Congo, Republic of the 34.4
23 Central African Republic 34.3
24 Gabon 34.2
25 Zimbabwe 34.2
26 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 33.5
27 East Timor 33.4
28 Senegal 33.4
29 Togo 33.3
30 Guinea-Bissau 32.5
31 Sao Tome and Principe 32.4
32 Equatorial Guinea 32.2
33 Madagascar 31.6
34 Gaza Strip 31.4
35 Rwanda 30.7
36 Ghana 30.5
37 Iraq 30.4
38 Mauritania 30.4
39 Eritrea 29.6
40 Egypt 29.6
41 Gambia, The 29.4
42 Western Sahara 29.3
43 Yemen 28.4
44 Sudan 27.9
45 Cote d'Ivoire 27.7
46 Namibia 27.3
47 West Bank 26.3
48 Comoros 26.1
49 Solomon Islands 24.9
50 Lesotho 24.6
51 Marshall Islands 24.4
52 Guatemala 24.1
53 Belize 24
54 Nauru 24
55 Vanuatu 24
56 Oman 24
57 Swaziland 24
58 Jordan 23.9
59 Kenya 23.9
60 Philippines 23.7
61 Papua New Guinea 23.7
62 Tuvalu 23.7
63 Laos 23.6
64 Djibouti 23.4
65 Tajikistan 23.3
66 Cambodia 23
67 Haiti 23
68 Honduras 22.4
69 Algeria 22.2
70 Tonga 22.2
71 Botswana 22.1
72 Kyrgyzstan 22.1
73 Bolivia 22
74 Pakistan 21.9
75 Syria 21.2
76 Kiribati 21.2
77 Samoa 20.4
78 South Africa 20.2
79 Cape Verde 20
80 Micronesia, Federated States of 20
81 Guam 19.7
82 American Samoa 19.6
83 Nepal 19.5
84 Kuwait 19.2
85 Malaysia 19.1
86 Turkmenistan 19.1
87 India 19
88 Mongolia 18.9
89 Bangladesh 18.8
90 Venezuela 18.8
91 Fiji 18.6
92 Dominican Republic 18.4
93 Saudi Arabia 18.3
94 Mexico 18.3
95 Tunisia 18.2
96 Burma 18.1
97 Kazakhstan 18.1
98 Israel 18.1
99 Iran 17.9
100 Jamaica 17.9
101 Ecuador 17.9
102 Panama 17.9
103 Peru 17.8
104 Nicaragua 17.7
105 Morocco 17.7
106 Libya 17.5
107 Bhutan 17.3
108 Brunei 17
109 Uzbekistan 16.8
110 Argentina 16.7
111 Paraguay 16.6
112 El Salvador 16.2
113 Indonesia 16.2
114 Colombia 16.1
115 Maldives 16.1
116 Suriname 15.8
117 Azerbaijan 15.8
118 Antigua and Barbuda 15.7
119 Turkey 15.7
120 Vietnam 15.5
121 Costa Rica 15.5
122 Grenada 15.5
123 Guyana 15.4
124 Bahamas, The 15.3
125 Turks and Caicos Islands 15.3
126 Sri Lanka 15.2
127 Dominica 15.1
128 United Arab Emirates 15.1
129 New Caledonia 15
130 Northern Mariana Islands 15
131 French Polynesia 14.8
132 Korea, North 14.6
133 Greenland 14.4
134 Lebanon 14.3
135 Faroe Islands 14.3
136 Ireland 14.1
137 Brazil 14.1
138 Cook Islands 14
139 Gibraltar 14
140 Iceland 13.7
141 Curacao 13.7
142 Seychelles 13.7
143 Chile 13.6
144 Bahrain 13.3
145 Saint Lucia 13.3
146 Saint Kitts and Nevis 13.2
147 New Zealand 13.2
148 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.2
149 Wallis and Futuna 13.2
150 Albania 13.2
151 Sint Maarten 13.1
152 Uruguay 13
153 Mauritius 13
154 Armenia 12.9
155 Virgin Islands 12.8
156 Trinidad and Tobago 12.7
157 United States 12.5
158 Anguilla 12.5
159 Aruba 12.4
160 Jersey 12.4
161 Georgia 12.3
162 China 12.3
163 France 12.2
164 Norway 12.2
165 United Kingdom 12.1
166 Sweden 12.1
167 Australia 12.1
168 Cayman Islands 12
169 Barbados 11.7
170 Moldova 11.5
171 Luxembourg 11.5
172 Macedonia 11.4
173 Bermuda 11.3
174 Belgium 11.3
175 Palau 11.3
176 British Virgin Islands 11.1
177 Russia 11
178 Thailand 11
179 Isle of Man 11
180 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 10.9
181 Netherlands 10.9
182 Montserrat 10.8
183 Finland 10.7
184 Cuba 10.7
185 Denmark 10.5
186 Switzerland 10.5
187 Liechtenstein 10.4
188 Canada 10.3
189 Belarus 10.3
190 Ukraine 10.3
191 Estonia 10.1
192 Malta 10.1
193 Montenegro 10
194 Lithuania 9.9
195 Guernsey 9.8
196 Latvia 9.7
197 Slovakia 9.7
198 Saint Helena 9.6
199 Qatar 9.6
200 Poland 9.5
201 Austria 9.5
202 Czech Republic 9.3
203 Spain 9.2
204 Portugal 9
205 Serbia 9
206 Hungary 9
207 Croatia 8.9
208 Hong Kong 8.9
209 Romania 8.9
210 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.8
211 Bulgaria 8.7
212 Italy 8.6
213 Germany 8.6
214 Macau 8.6
215 San Marino 8.6
216 Singapore 8.6
217 Greece 8.4
218 Korea, South 8.3
219 Taiwan 8.3
220 Slovenia 8.2
221 Puerto Rico 8.1
222 Japan 7.7
223 Andorra 7.5
224 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7.1
225 Monaco 6.6
The top ten countries by population are
1 China 1,395,590,000 18.2%
2 India 1,340,520,000 17.5%
3 United States 328,303,000 4.28%
4 Indonesia 265,015,300 3.46%
5 Brazil 209,946,000 2.74%
6 Pakistan 202,917,000 2.65%
7 Nigeria 193,392,517 2.52%
8 Bangladesh 165,660,000 2018 2.16%
9 Russia 146,877,088 1.92%
10 Japan 126,450,000 1.65%
China is #162 in birth rate, India is #87, the U.S. is #157, Indonesia is #113, Brazil is #137, Pakistan is #74, Nigeria is #13, Bangladesh is #89, Russia is #177, and Japan is #222. This means three of the 10 largest nations are actually less fertile than the low ranked U.S., while the other six are more fertile.
In particular, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Bangladesh contribute the most to the supposed problem of overpopulation. Since the US is not a statistically significant contributor to the growth of the worldwide population, the author is clearly not speaking to us. We must conclude, then, that he wants us to concentrate our efforts on those non-white countries.
I'm sure they would appreciate our meddling.
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Here's the letter:
We are overjoyed as we celebrate this holiday season. But as I reflect on holidays long past, I recall less over-consumption, less overcrowding, less over-development, and certainly less overshoot. And it’s all related to one major crisis: overpopulation.
Biologist E.O. Wilson described the problem this way: “The raging monster upon the land is population growth. In its presence, sustainability is but a fragile theoretical construct. To say, as many do, that the difficulties of nations are not due to people, but to poor ideology or land-use management, is sophistic.”
The good news is that an international campaign seeking a new United Nations treaty on population is now underway. About 50 organizations and several thousand individuals have expressed their support for this initiative so far, representing at least 18 countries across six continents. A new treaty similar to the Paris Climate Agreement, but focused on human population-related issues instead of climate change, could rightly be recommended under the existing UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
It’s high time to prioritize family planning as an integral part of conservation policy, including climate policy, in pursuit of resilient, life-affirming communities that operate within planetary boundaries.
To me, being pro-life requires concern not only for fetuses, but for life support for mothers, parents, infants, pre-schoolers, children who need nutritional assistance, access to good schools through college, secure jobs that pay a living wage, retirement safety nets, and affordable housing for families and seniors. Beyond that, pro-life in my view must include a reverence for the entire community of life on Earth, from algae to elephants, ferns to forests, because we are absolutely dependent upon them, and we are in the process of crowding them off the Earth.
We are overjoyed as we celebrate this holiday season. But as I reflect on holidays long past, I recall less over-consumption, less overcrowding, less over-development, and certainly less overshoot. And it’s all related to one major crisis: overpopulation.
Biologist E.O. Wilson described the problem this way: “The raging monster upon the land is population growth. In its presence, sustainability is but a fragile theoretical construct. To say, as many do, that the difficulties of nations are not due to people, but to poor ideology or land-use management, is sophistic.”
The good news is that an international campaign seeking a new United Nations treaty on population is now underway. About 50 organizations and several thousand individuals have expressed their support for this initiative so far, representing at least 18 countries across six continents. A new treaty similar to the Paris Climate Agreement, but focused on human population-related issues instead of climate change, could rightly be recommended under the existing UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
It’s high time to prioritize family planning as an integral part of conservation policy, including climate policy, in pursuit of resilient, life-affirming communities that operate within planetary boundaries.
To me, being pro-life requires concern not only for fetuses, but for life support for mothers, parents, infants, pre-schoolers, children who need nutritional assistance, access to good schools through college, secure jobs that pay a living wage, retirement safety nets, and affordable housing for families and seniors. Beyond that, pro-life in my view must include a reverence for the entire community of life on Earth, from algae to elephants, ferns to forests, because we are absolutely dependent upon them, and we are in the process of crowding them off the Earth.
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