Skip to content

The Overpopulation Project

TOP – Research and Outreach Menu

Population growth has contributed 80% of ecological overshoot

 Overpopulation Research Project Biodiversity, ecological footprint, Environmental movement, Family Planning, Population growth  November 30, 2022 4 Minutes

William Rees is the originator of ecological footprint analysis, the influential approach to measuring sustainability. In a new article, he argues that humanity is deep into ecological overshoot and that we need to ratchet back our numbers and the size of our economies before nature does it for us.

by Philip Cafaro

William Rees has been a leading sustainability scholar for three decades. In a recently published article, The human eco-predicament: Overshoot and the population conundrum, Bill makes three interlocking claims:

The human enterprise is in overshoot, depleting essential ecosystems faster than they can regenerate and polluting the ecosphere beyond nature’s assimilative capacity.  

Mainstream approaches to alleviating various symptoms of overshoot merely reinforce the status quo.

The continuity of civilisation will require a cooperative, planned contraction of both the material economy and human populations, beginning with a transformation of the fundamental values … underpinning neoliberal capitalist industrial society.

How big a contraction? Rees estimates a sustainable global population at 1 to 2 billion people—provided citizens in wealthy nations are willing to reduce our individual ecofootprints to 25% their current size. But as he notes, “in the real world … the population is still growing and there is zero international interest in sizing the global economy to fit within carrying capacity or to share the world’s bounty more equitably.” While “zero interest” might be an exaggeration, it’s hard not to share his pessimism about such ideas going mainstream anytime soon.

For followers of this blog, perhaps the most interesting part of the paper is a section which argues that “while overconsumption and population growth have long been recognised as co-drivers of overshoot, population growth is currently the major contributor to total consumption growth and associated negative ecological impacts” throughout the world. Comparing changes in per capita ecofootprints and changes in population for all the world’s nations between 1960 and 2016, Rees finds that population growth has been the dominant driver in increased national ecofootprints for all four of the World Bank’s country groupings based on national income (see figure below).

It comes as no surprise that in low-income countries, with rapidly growing populations, population growth accounted for 100% of the growth in (still relatively small) national ecological footprints between 1960 and 2016. But it also accounted for 88%, 73% and 75% of the growth in ecofootprints during that same time for lower middle-income, upper middle-income, and high-income countries, respectively (see section 3 in Rees’ paper for more numbers and calculations).

Globally, according to Rees, “population growth accounted for 80% of the increase in the total human ecological footprint above what would have accrued had populations remained constant while income/consumption and per capita EFs increased” after 1960. Next time a friend tells you that “the problem’s consumption, not population,” you might want to send them the paper!

Rees is quick to remind readers that citizens of high-income countries make much greater per capita demands on nature than those in poorer countries, noting that “1.14 billion rich consumers (15% of the human population) lay claim to 57% of global biocapacity.” He criticizes an “egregious, inexcusable, yet still increasing material inequality between rich and poor people and nations in today’s world.” And he states: “globalisation and unfair terms of trade in world markets enable the citizens of wealthy countries to appropriate legally, by commercial means, several times their equitable share of Earth’s biocapacity from other countries and the global commons.”

Here Rees may be falling into what Gaia Baracetti calls the per capita fallacy: the view that many smaller ecological footprints are more virtuous than fewer, larger ones. After all, it isn’t clear that all differences in individual or national wealth are the result of injustice, or that absolute equality in wealth or resource use is demanded by justice. Poor people around the world want more consumption and wealth, and with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the international community has committed to helping them achieve that. But this will inevitably increase demands on the biosphere, which is already overused by people.

While Rees stresses that population decline in rich countries would generate more ecological benefit than in poor countries, he observes that “the most significant social benefits from stable populations would accrue at the micro level to the low-income families of poor countries who would enjoy larger slices of the economic pie.” But he fails to mention that a four-fold increase in their populations since 1960 has given them smaller slices of the pie, contributing more than “unfair terms of trade” to today’s inequalities. He states that “Egregious and widening inequality is a separate socio-political problem.” But it is not separate, it is fundamentally linked to the diverging demographics of rich and poor countries. The main factor separating today’s emerging economies (e.g. in Southeastern Asia) from the least-developed countries was their success in lowering birth rates four decades ago. We must stop seeing the population issue as separate from, or even a distraction from inequalities, and start seeing it as instrumental in closing the gap.

Despite these caveats, Bill Rees may be right that any successful effort to achieve global ecological sustainability must find a way to distribute resources and share Earth’s limited assimilative capacities more fairly within and among societies. He makes a strong case that this also must involve decreasing human numbers and, for many of us, our personal demands on the natural world.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=143187577&post_id=9280&origin=overpopulation-project.com&obj_id=143187577-9280-6394d1e4e4ad0

• Tagged
• Biodiversity crisis
• ecological footprint
• environment
• Population growth

Post navigation

Previous Post The per capita fallacy

Next PostIn America, reproductive rights have fallen prey to a creeping theocracy

22 thoughts on “Population growth has contributed 80% of ecological overshoot”

1. Stephen in DCNovember 30, 2022 at 2:19 pmWell, D’uh. D’uh. (Please excuse my lame sarcasm.) I can only read the same information so many times. A well-written article, but of little use.Loading…Reply
2. Kathleene ParkerNovember 30, 2022 at 4:48 pmAs per Stephen’s post, DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!And, if we had an honest, ethical ‘snooze’ media (which thanks to deregulation, we no longer do and that from a now-retired journalist FROM WHEN MEDIA WERE ETHICAL), they’d be headlining NATIONALLY that a significant portion of the United States, the American Southwest, is within 2 YEARS OR LESS of a TOTAL COLLAPSE OF THE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM, meaning roughly 45 million people likely to face a lot of thirst, perhaps even forced moves from the region.Yet our clueless–or CORRUPT or outright senile–El Presidente Biden–happily circumvents or trashes immigration laws to the extent of now even going so far as to send buses to Mexicali, Mexico, to IN COOPERATION WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT “expedite’ the arrival of more ‘amnesty seekers,’ although not one in 99 of them actually QUALIFIES under, well, you know, the laws that BIDEN IS IGNORING! Even the Biden administration admits to one 12-month period of 2.1 MILLION over the border, though others say that number was closer to 3 million.Meanwhile, U.N. data–I long since stopped believing Census Bureau data–shows a net increase of one EVERY 20 SECONDS added to the U.S. population, plus the addition IN JUST 2 YEARS OF FIVE MILLION TO THE U.S. POPULATION! So, yeah, that’ll help the Southwest’s drought crisis.And, the ENTIRE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM at the brink of collapse as our president shows his stunning leadership skills by ignoring drought and further exploding our population, so yes, as Stephen says, DUH!Loading…Reply
3. Stable GeniusNovember 30, 2022 at 7:58 pmHumanity can throw up a Bach or an Einstein with little apparent effort, but is totally arrogant and clueless, about regulating their numbers.Some other force, way stronger than COVID-19, would have to do it for them. Wars, famines, mega pestilence, “natural” disasters, asteroid strike, who knows. It’s not something that can be modelled by IPCC.Loading…Reply
4. gaiabaracettiNovember 30, 2022 at 8:00 pm“We must stop seeing the population issue as separate from, or even a distraction from inequalities, and start seeing it as instrumental in closing the gap.”
   Inequality is a very important theme that in the overpopulation debate is often only addressed at the inter-country level (hence my “per capita fallacy” argument). But I do believe that reducing inequality needs to play a big role in our journey towards sustainability. It’s not just a matter of fairness: it’s also easier to get people to accept “sacrifices” (i.e. not getting something they want) if they don’t feel they are the only ones being forced to do them. Also, people want to do what others do, and if no one is out there showing that it’s great to have a gazillion kids or to fly to the other side of the world twice a year, they won’t even consider it.
   Part of the backlash against the climate change advocacy by scientists, celebrities and politicians is that people are always wondering: why am I the only one who should stop polluting while I’m struggling already, while they get to keep their high salaries and fly around the world in private jets??A couple more thoughts:
   – sometimes I think that, if there were fewer people, and fewer poor people especially, in the world, inequality and waste would automatically decline because you can only overconsume if you have lots of workers making stuff for you (robots notwhistanding). For most people wasteful consumption might not even be worth it if they have to produce the stuff through their own labour
   – the national and individual levels are not quite the same. A nation can theoretially claim to be wealthy because it is prudent in its use of resources while trading fairly, or not trading, with the rest of the world. But an individual can never make that claim. Self-made billionaires do not exist. No man or woman can produce everything that is necessary to be rich, to survive even, alone. Anyone who is rich is rich thanks to others, especially in very complex systems such as our own, with massive public spending that supports the rich as well as the poor. Groups are one thing; individuals anotherLoading…Reply
   1. Philip CafaroNovember 30, 2022 at 10:51 pmReducing economic inequality and achieving ecological sustainability both seem like worthwhile goals; perhaps the two most important goals facing current societies. I am less clear on their interrelationship.Gaia’s right: common folks are not going to change to more sustainable consumption patterns while jet setters continue their wasteful ways. At least not willingly.There are various kinds of economic inequality and various possibilities for addressing it. I’ve long thought that billionaires shouldn’t exist; allowing individuals to inflate their power and influence through such vast wealth does considerable harm to our democracies. Why not confiscate their wealth and use it to fund the transition to clean energy in the developing world?Loading…Reply
      1. gaiabaracettiDecember 1, 2022 at 6:33 amI think the relationship between inequality and sustainability actually goes both ways (unfortunately). I stand by what I said above, but it’s also true that things like hunting reserves for the wealthy probably played a role in conserving animals and habitats (excluding predators of course, as they competed with human hunters).
         You could theoretically have an extremely unequal society where a few people have vast wealth but the impact on the environment is small because everyone else is dirt poor. But what would be the point of such a society? People would not want to live in it for long and would leave or revolt if possible. You could sustain it only by extreme repression and locking them in (North Korea is probably an example of such a society – but its environment is also in a terrible state apparently).
         I think it’s more of an indirect relation – in an unequal society, what are people going to do to the environment, and how and why? What do the effects of inequality push people to do?
         A connection worth exploring on this blog? Loading…
5. Philip CafaroDecember 1, 2022 at 5:08 pmYes definitely a connection worth exploring — by someone like you, who doesn’t try to tie everything up in a neat little bow. Rich, powerful people setting aside land as hunting preserves or protected areas have done a lot to preserve biodiversity. That doesn’t mean their power or wealth was justly achieved or fairly deployed vis a vis their fellow humans.Loading…Reply
   1. gaiabaracettiDecember 1, 2022 at 7:15 pmThere’s a huge literature on natural reserves, their relation to colonialism and racism (everyone’s favourite subjects), and the conflict with indigenous people who used to live in said reserves. Ecotourism is another example of nature kept for the rich at the expense of the locals or at least of their economic independence on the land.
      I’d write something about it if it didn’t require an enormous amount of research to be done well Loading…Reply
6. Jack PedigoDecember 1, 2022 at 6:27 pm“Before nature does it for us.” I think that ship has passed and nature is already doing it for us. The idea of us taking charge, in a peaceful way, must be done before nature takes over and it will not be pretty, has been around for decades, and how many have listened!? Gaiabaracetti’s comment, “it’s also easier to get people to accept “sacrifices.” may be true for some but how many people, in the world, are willing to accept even a modicum of sacrifices. Right now the world seems to be locked in a fight for a shrinking amount of resources. Tribalism is running rampant and wars over resources are starting. A lot of what is written may work if everyone on the planet were sane and rational. Unfortunately we are not and that situation seems to get worse as the global situation gets worse. I know, a lot of Doom and Gloom but the opposite (and what is being practiced today is ‘Smile and Denial.’ My late partner and I came up with a reason based idea which is ‘Know and Grow.” The Overpopulation Project and comments here follow that saying but still it seems hard to see any positive results.
   I live in an island archipelago which is dependent on a system of ferries (the largest in the U.S.). This year the citizens received their annual property value assessments and it was the largest ever. Mine went up 25% and some went up 50%. The residents are mad and with our recent election only one (of numerous) levies failed. Several proposals, amending the county governance, also failed. We now have a new sheriff (the previous one was well liked and served a long time). It is a wealthy community and people have always been very generous with sharing the resources. Unfortunately, the county has failed to control growth and continue to put business and growth ahead of protecting the lands and this is the result. An amazingly beautiful place that has inspired people to put nature first is turning into a place where families and friends have split. Because of it’s location crime has yet to increase but that will come. If one can’t even take care of a few islands, what hope is there for the planet!?Loading…Reply
   1. gaiabaracettiDecember 1, 2022 at 7:12 pmI think we still don’t know whether the imperative to grow and always be wealthier and have as much as possible is rooted in our culture or in our genes (and any other species would do the same). This would make a big difference.
      History has proven people are willing to make enormous sacrifices, including of their own lives, if they are shared fairly and if they believe in the ultimate goal. Whether such a mindset can be sustained indefinitely is a different matter.Loading…Reply
7. David Walker, Cape Town, South AfricaDecember 2, 2022 at 1:03 pmInteresting piece Phillip, thank you. I would be interested to know how the wealthiest have managed to decrease their eco-footprint in recent decades?Loading…Reply
   1. Philip CafaroDecember 2, 2022 at 4:40 pmThe claim is that average per capita ecofootprint has declined in the last few years in wealthy countries. But because of population increase, total ecofootprint and available biocapacity per person have both declined.Yes, I was surprised by this as well. The details will be found in the Global Footprint Network’s recent yearly reports. The Rees article I report on here simply reports their results.Loading…Reply
      1. gaiabaracettiDecember 2, 2022 at 5:21 pmI think “standards of living” are declining for significant chunks of the population in the wealthier countries. At least this is what it looks like talking to people and hearing the news. It’s not a bad thing given how wasteful our societies are, but very unequally distributed.Loading…
8. Marc GilletDecember 3, 2022 at 5:04 pmI agree with the basic reasoning of this paper by William Rees, but his calculations are somewhat crude. When he says that “the 54% increase in high-income population since 1961 accounts for 75% of the 3.2 billion gha increase in high-income consumers’ demand on nature”, this number should be corrected to 68%. Indeed, William Rees obtains this result using the EF per capita of the year 2016, while he should use the EF per capita of the year at mid term between 1961 and 2016, lets say the average of the EF of these two years. Same for the other 2 cases, where we should have 55% instead of 72% for upper middle-income countries, and 75% instead of 88% for lower middle income countries.
   I have the feeling that there may be other flaws in this caluclations, which I have not been able to find yet, although it looks like elementary arithmetics!
   Anyway, if I do the same reasoning as regards global GHG emissions, taking the values of the last IPCC report, I obtain the results that population growth should account for 85% of the increase in emissions between 1990 and 2019 (William Rees would obtain 88%). This is far above what I have seen in the litterature, although there are only very few publications on the subject.
   I can send the calculation on excel file if anybody is intersted.Loading…Reply
   1. Philip CafaroDecember 4, 2022 at 10:03 pmMarc,thanks for weighing in. I will have go back to the Rees paper to assess your main point.Regarding the contrast between Rees’ finding regarding population’s contribution to humanity’s total ecological footprint (he claims 80%), and recent estimates of population’s contribution to climate change (about 40% over the past three decades, according to the IPCC), I would note that EF analysis looks at a wider range of human impacts than climate change.Loading…Reply
      1. Philip CafaroDecember 4, 2022 at 10:04 pmPS I should have said “recent estimates of population’s contribution to increases in greenhouse gas emissions” in the comment above; that is more exact than “population’s contribution to climate change.”Loading…
      2. davykyddDecember 7, 2022 at 12:12 amPhil, Marc Gillet, Bill Rees, and Gaia —Is it possible for you four to trim off the errors and tighten up the numbers of Bill’s welcome paper?If the data are then peer-reviewed, the striking findings are important enough to be aired much more widely than in the Vienna Yearbook of Popul Res. Let’s go!IMHO, Phil’s well-meaning but under-reflected idea to “confiscate the wealth” of billionaires should be dropped, fast. History teaches us that one sure way to agitate uproar and regretful violence is to march in under a “confiscation” flag.If minimum wage laws made sense, and maximum wealth levels make sense
         (agreed on by way of democratic debate and voting — old fashioned democracy),
         then a gradual decline would be tolerable. Grandfathering in those who earned their wealth by the old rules seems a more fair way than the autocratic-like confiscation maneuver.Let’s keep our eye on the ball here: Bill’s valuable legwork and the cogent insights of you peers. Version 2.0 of the paper could also do with a better title, one that conveys the key finding. (Most all scientific research tackle puzzles and “conundrums” and hence that fact need not waste space in the title; instead, let’s position the remarkable find up front — with eloquence.)We want others to cooperate. Shall we show them how?DavyLoading…
9. Steven Earl SalmonyDecember 4, 2022 at 10:59 pmFew experts in population biology, related fields of science, demography and economics appear ready and willing to see what is in front of naked eyes. Too many experts have confused cause and effect and thereby vitiated the coherence of mind and clarity of vision required to sensibly interpret evidence of whatsoever could be objectively correlated with reality. As a consequence, they appear to find the ecological science of human population dynamics simultaneously unbelievable yet virtualy irrefutable.
   (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226928770_Human_Population_Numbers_as_a_Function_of_Food_Supply,
   https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227269417_Human_Carrying_Capacity_Is_Determined_by_Food_Availability.)We do not have a food production problem. Food harvests are abundant; food is sufficient to feed the human community plus many more. The problem is food redistribution. Granted the fair and equitable redistribution of available food to the human community writ large would lead in all likelihood to a temporary, exacerbating increase in absolute global human population numbers; however, limiting total global food production that humans consume would in the course of space-time return Homo sapiens to balance within the natural world.Consider biomimicry, the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes. For a moment let us assume that nature has the answers to the problems human beings have induced by relentlessly increasing the human food supply, and must now confront and overcome. By following the laws of the natural world, by changing our way to conform with nature, humans would consciously and deliberately mimic nature’s way where we find that all resources (including food to feed a growing population) are categorically limited by the size and finite resources of the planet which is our planetary home, the house humans have filled beyond its natural carrying capacity through the massive deployment of complex systems and inventive technologies.One of the worst mistakes of the second half of the 20th Century has been and continues to be generated by the United Nations. A delusion in the form of a meme, or unquestioned cultural transmission, has been viewed as real and spread virally by misusing the imprimatur of science upon which the meme is not actually based. Large scale human organizations have held tightly to versions of the same meme prior to this time period. Most experts became captives of a satisfying false cultural transmission: humans must continuously increase food production to feed a growing population. This misperception/misconception of reality cloaks our view of the way the world really works with regard to the population dynamics of all species within the evolutionary ‘tree of life’, including Homo sapiens.There are hallmarks that define a deluded cultural transmission. They include political convenience, economic expediency, social suitability, religious tolerance, and legalization. All seem necessary for a false meme to become culturally prescribed. Purveyors of false memes willfully ignore the questioning of ideas upon which their misinformation is based — a hallmark of science. Without the support of science we find ourselves in a festering haze of delusion.With regard to its population dynamics, our evolving memetic species has a vital task. Substitute a scientifically founded meme for the unquestioned false one. Then the new meme would be: increases in the total production of food for human consumption lead to a global population increase of H. sapiens. We would acknowledge not only that we have a food distribution problem but also a problem derived from our tragic failure to use available ways and means to prevent unwanted births humanely.How the human community chooses to act in response to this daunting predicament is something others more capable than I will have to address and find a way to overcome. Years ago, before the 21st century began to unfold, my spouse advised me not to communicate the ecological science of human population dynamics until I had a solution to the existential situation disclosed by the evidence. I told her then and say to all now, I do not have answers to the thorny questions or solutions to difficult problems the heretofore uncontested science raises. Please allow me to add the belief that any program of action to rein in the size of the human population by limiting the human food supply must begin by taking simultaneous steps to feed the human community as well as to save the flourishing of life (i.e., biodiversity) as we know it.It is neither necessary nor sustainable to continue increasing food production to feed a growing human population. To the contrary, such a determination ultimately carries with it profoundly harmful consequences. In the case of H. sapiens the species eats itself out of house and home.Steven Earl Salmony, Ph.D., M.P.A. is a retired practicing psychologist. In 2001 Steve founded the AWAREness Campaign on the Human Population to raise consciousness of the colossal threat that the unbridled, near exponential growth of absolute global human population numbers poses for life as it is known to us. His campaign has focused upon the best available science of human population dynamics and the topic of human overpopulation of earth in our time. He can be reached at sesalmony@aol.com.Loading…Reply
   1. gaiabaracettiDecember 7, 2022 at 12:38 pm“The problem is food redistribution.”
      Well, yes and no. If people live where food isn’t produced in sufficient quantities, to me that is a food *production* problem, because there is no guarantee that the food they need will get to them, and because doing so has economic and environmental costs. Also, countries that are producing extra food should in time lower their production to leave space for wildlife. It doesn’t make sense to me to preserve wildlife in Africa or the Amazon by forcing the US or Europe to destroy their own environment in order to produce food for the people in poorer, greener countries. I want forests too! I want people in SS Africa to produce their own local, nutritious food.
      You can rely on trade for things that aren’t life and death. But, as the war in Ukraine has shown, to depend on others for things such as food, energy or heating is extremely dangerous.Loading…Reply
10. gaiabaracettiDecember 7, 2022 at 12:33 pmdavykydd, wealth taxes change all the time. In the 1930s in the US the highest income tax was 75%. No revolution by the super rich happened then.
    If anything, it would make revolt by the poorest less likely. Look at the gilet jaunes in France to see a small taste of what happens when only the middle- and lower classes are expected to make sacrifices.
    As for the numbers, I am certainly not qualified to touch them, but others here are.Loading…Reply
    1. davykyddDecember 7, 2022 at 7:04 pmGaia, thanks for your reflections. And good of you to speak about graduated income taxes.Nonetheless, my point was about Phil’s wording, “confiscation.” Citizens do not pay annual income confiscations, they pay income taxes. At the store, customers do not have their money confiscated, they pay sales tax. These are two different concepts, not innocent synonyms.
       Since the Overpopulation Project aspires to reach audiences beyond our own silo, it behooves us to speak with tact and care about people’s wealth. “Confiscation” simply won’t do, will it?Loading…Reply
       1. gaiabaracettiDecember 7, 2022 at 7:34 pmI see your point. I can’t speak for Phil, and I agree the word “confiscation” might frighten a few people and not be necessary, but he was talking about billionaires, a small minority with a personal wealth so big it actually destabilizes societies and gives them more power as individuals than is compatible with a democracy. An argument could be made that there should be a maximum amount of wealth an individual is legally allowed to keep, and anything about that should be redistributed or used for public spending. We don’t allow people to “own” countries, for example, do we? I’m actually hoping to write a book on this, so I don’t think I can argue convincingly in just the space of a comment.Loading…

Leave a Reply 

https://jetpack.wordpress.com/jetpack-comment/?blogid=143187577&postid=9280&comment_registration=0&require_name_email=1&stc_enabled=1&stb_enabled=1&show_avatars=1&avatar_default=identicon&greeting=Leave+a+Reply&jetpack_comments_nonce=d94c9f7956&greeting_reply=Leave+a+Reply+to+%25s&color_scheme=light&lang=en_US&jetpack_version=11.7-a.1&show_cookie_consent=10&has_cookie_consent=0&token_key=%3Bnormal%3B&sig=d8f7448bbafa3215b8b017b30c5b14b0ed55bca0#parent=https%3A%2F%2Foverpopulation-project.com%2Fpopulation-growth-has-contributed-80-of-ecological-overshoot%2F

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Explore the content and topics covered by TOP, search here!

Search for:

Translate

Select LanguageAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAssameseAymaraAzerbaijaniBambaraBasqueBelarusianBengaliBhojpuriBosnianBulgarianBurmeseCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDhivehiDogriDutchEsperantoEstonianEweFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGuaraniGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIlocanoIndonesianIrish GaelicItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKinyarwandaKonkaniKoreanKrioKurdish (Kurmanji)Kurdish (Sorani)KyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLingalaLithuanianLugandaLuxembourgishMacedonianMaithiliMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMeiteilon (Manipuri)MizoMongolianNepaliNorwegianOdia (Oriya)OromoPashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiQuechuaRomanianRussianSamoanSanskritScots GaelicSepediSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTatarTeluguThaiTigrinyaTsongaTurkishTurkmenTwiUkrainianUrduUyghurUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu

Powered by Translate

Recent Blog Posts

• In America, reproductive rights have fallen prey to a creeping theocracyDecember 6, 2022
• Population growth has contributed 80% of ecological overshootNovember 30, 2022
• The per capita fallacyNovember 22, 2022
• Hello World of 8 Billion! November 14, 2022
• Herman DalyNovember 8, 2022

Blog categories

Blog categories  Select Category  Aging  (14)  Biodiversity  (48)  birth rate  (42)  Catholic Church  (11)  Climate Change  (25)  ecological footprint  (44)  Economy  (18)  Education  (11)  Environmental movement  (25)  Ethics  (21)  Family Planning  (47)  fertility  (36)  Fertility rate  (44)  Food security  (8)  Foreign Aid  (7)  Governmental institutions  (24)  Land abandonment  (4)  Limits to growth  (12)  Migration  (0)  Pandemics  (6)  Political violence  (2)  Population density  (7)  Population growth  (78)  Population neglect  (41)  Population policy  (58)  Population Projections  (29)  Population taboo  (32)  Religion  (11)  Scenarios  (15)  SDG  (5)  Social norms  (15)  Solutions  (19)  Success stories  (12)  Success stories – Family Planning  (7)  Success stories – Rewilding  (4)  Sustainable population  (65)  The Population Factor  (6)  UN  (14)  Uncategorized  (10)  Urbanisation  (5)  Water security  (2)  Wealth distribution  (2)  Yearly summary  (4)  Youth bulge  (1) 

What we are reading, listening to and watching

• Across the US, Native Americans are fighting to preserve sacred land by Alejandra Molina and Emily McFarlan Miller
• Sweden is Rethinking What Makes It Great by Adrian Woolridge
• Challenging pronatalism is key to advancing reproductive liberation and planetary health by ICFP and Nandita Bajaj
• COP27, Egypt and Human Numbers by Sandy Irvine
• Biospheric Literacy and Sustainability PowerPoints by The Wecskaop Project

https://www.facebook.com/v2.3/plugins/page.php?app_id=249643311490&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Df38cc9270ecb4d%26domain%3Doverpopulation-project.com%26is_canvas%3Dfalse%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Foverpopulation-project.com%252Ff2f099aaf401e2c%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=297&height=130&hide_cover=false&hide_cta=false&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheOverpopulationProject%2F&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&show_facepile=false&small_header=false&tabs=timeline&width=340

Email Address:

Follow The Overpopulation Blog

Gallery of infographics – Learn more about overpopulation and environment

https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LdM0g8iAAAAAGs6PNlpzdFCLi6uV5q-tExCLyJ5&co=aHR0cHM6Ly9vdmVycG9wdWxhdGlvbi1wcm9qZWN0LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=pn3ro1xnhf4yB8qmnrhh9iD2&size=invisible&cb=fdog4akj6j7q

Read the latest posts from experts at Harvard Health Publishing covering a variety of health topics and perspectives on medical news.

Articles

Search

Shopping CartOpen mobile menuMenu

RECENT BLOG ARTICLES

Struggling with migraine hangovers? Read thisDoes cannabis actually relieve pain — or is something else going on?Jump-start a healthier New Year with four holiday eating tipsSibling rivalry is normal — but is it helpful or harmful?Prostate cancer: How long should hormonal therapy last?Overeating? Mindfulness exercises may helpGenes protective during the Black Death may now be increasing autoimmune disordersDoes weight loss surgery relieve pain?Have you done your crossword puzzle today?Concerned about your child’s development?

1/10

DISEASES & CONDITIONS

Struggling with migraine hangovers? Read this

June 8, 2022

• By Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women’s Health Watch

When the trademark throbbing from a migraine finally lifts, the relief is profound. But for many people regularly stricken with these potentially debilitating headaches, their distress isn’t over just because the pain ends. Instead, a distinct phase of migraine called the postdrome leaves them feeling achy, weary, dazed, and confused — symptoms eerily similar to another affliction altogether.

Dubbed the “migraine hangover,” this constellation of post-headache symptoms is remarkably common, following up to 80% of migraine attacks, according to research published in Neurology. Scientists are increasingly turning their focus to this previously underrecognized component of migraine, according to Dr. Paul Rizzoli, clinical director of the Graham Headache Center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital.

“Not knowing it’s an accepted part of migraine, patients come up with some creative ways to tell us about their postdrome symptoms — they feel washed out, their head feels hollow, or they feel like they have a hangover but weren’t even drinking,” Dr. Rizzoli explains. “Until recent years, science hadn’t paid attention to this facet of the syndrome, but it’s a natural progression from focusing on the problem as a whole.”

The four phases of migraine

The typical migraine can be a wretched experience, with stabbing head pain joined by nausea, brain fog, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound, among other symptoms. Nearly 16% of Americans are affected by migraines, which strike women at nearly twice the rate as men. Severe headaches are also one of the top reasons for emergency room visits.

Spanning hours to days, migraine headaches can include four clear phases, each with its own set of symptoms. The pre-pain prodrome and aura phases may include various visual changes, extremes of irritability, difficulty speaking, or numbness and tingling, while the headache itself can feel like a drill is working its way through the skull.

Lingering migraine symptoms: The hangover

After that ordeal, one to two days of postdrome symptoms may sound tame by comparison, Dr. Rizzoli says. But the lingering fogginess, exhaustion, and stiff neck can feel just as disabling as the headache that came before. Since migraine is believed to act as a sort of electrical storm activating neurons in the brain, it’s possible that migraine hangover results from “some circuits being electrically or neurochemically exhausted,” Dr. Rizzoli says. “It just takes time for the brain to return to normal function, or even replace some chemicals that have been depleted in the process.”

But much is still unknown about migraine postdrome, he adds, and research has found no consistent association between factors such as the type of migraine medication taken and duration of any subsequent hangover.

Tips to ease a migraine hangover

Following these steps regularly may help you ward off lingering symptoms after a migraine:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Practice good headache hygiene by maintaining regular eating and sleeping patterns and easing stress.
• If possible, try to lighten your load for next 24 hours after the headache pain ends.
• Stop taking pain medicine once the headache is gone.

For migraine hangover sufferers so distracted by their inability to return to normal activities even after migraine pain lifts, physicians sometimes prescribe medications typically meant for conditions such as memory loss, depression, or seizures. While they may differ from the usual drugs used to treat migraine, some of these medicines have been observed to help postdrome syndrome or act as a preventive for headache.

Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation.

Science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes to cardiovas­cular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions. Get simple tips to fight inflammation and stay healthy — from Harvard Medical School experts.

Think of the headache you just had like you’ve run a marathon or done some other stressing activity,” Dr. Rizzoli says. “Your body needs to recover, which is not the same as staying in bed with the lights off. Ease up, but stay functional.”

About

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women’s Health Watch

Maureen Salamon is executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later covered health and medicine for a wide variety of websites, magazines, and hospitals. Her work has …

Calling all glow getters: To learn about skin care, you can read all the fancy product packages, or you can simply take a cue from real people like you. Start with these bloggers, who are in the know about — and admittedly love — the endless array of treatments, lotions, and potions.

Every year, we comb through hundreds of blogs to find those that go above and beyond to educate, inspire, and empower. We’ve been most impressed with these — and know you’ll love them too. Their tips, tricks, and anecdotes will give you a fresh take on how you face the world.

Calling all glow getters: To learn about skin care, you can read all the fancy product packages, or you can simply take a cue from real people like you. Start with these bloggers, who are in the know about — and admittedly love — the endless array of treatments, lotions, and potions.

Every year, we comb through hundreds of blogs to find those that go above and beyond to educate, inspire, and empower. We’ve been most impressed with these — and know you’ll love them too. Their tips, tricks, and anecdotes will give you a fresh take on how you face the world.

NewBeauty

This one is for the beauty trend-obsessed (aka anyone who gets FOMO if they don’t have the latest products or missed out on the week’s big sales). Get an inside look at the glam skin care routines of celebrities, editors’ testimonials about experiences and innovations, and scoop from dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aesthetic experts.implies, this is a web store, but it’s also a resource for anyone who is ready to move beyond moisturizer and wants guidance on what’s right — from ingredients to application techniques. Gather intel on how to pick the best products, especially if you’re on a budget. No persuasion or judgments, just honest advice delivered in an engaging, friend-to-friend manner.

• 
  Science
• Ingredients
• Routine
• Acne
• Conditions
• Procedures
• Products
• Sun Protection
• Natural
• Hair & Nails

https://827f64ef241b9b7af7611ba1dad57281.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The Best Skin Care Blogs of 2020

By Kelly Aiglon and Karen Lamoreux — Updated on July 15, 2020

Calling all glow getters: To learn about skin care, you can read all the fancy product packages, or you can simply take a cue from real people like you. Start with these bloggers, who are in the know about — and admittedly love — the endless array of treatments, lotions, and potions.

Every year, we comb through hundreds of blogs to find those that go above and beyond to educate, inspire, and empower. We’ve been most impressed with these — and know you’ll love them too. Their tips, tricks, and anecdotes will give you a fresh take on how you face the world.

NewBeauty

This one is for the beauty trend-obsessed (aka anyone who gets FOMO if they don’t have the latest products or missed out on the week’s big sales). Get an inside look at the glam skin care routines of celebrities, editors’ testimonials about experiences and innovations, and scoop from dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aesthetic experts.

ADVERTISEMENT

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&us_privacy=1YNY&gdpr_consent=tcunavailable&tcfe=3&client=ca-pub-4771166113579725&output=html&h=250&slotname=8916859196&adk=3117380889&adf=2975738966&pi=t.ma~as.8916859196&w=300&lmt=1670522465&rafmt=12&format=300×250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthline.com%2Fhealth%2Fbest-skin-care-blogs%236&wgl=1&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTEuMC4wIiwiIiwiQ1BIMTkxMSIsIjEwNy4wLjUzMDQuMTQxIixbXSx0cnVlLG51bGwsIiIsW1siR29vZ2xlIENocm9tZSIsIjEwNy4wLjUzMDQuMTQxIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEwNy4wLjUzMDQuMTQxIl0sWyJOb3Q9QT9CcmFuZCIsIjI0LjAuMC4wIl1dLGZhbHNlXQ..&dt=1670522462861&bpp=7&bdt=28357&idt=3000&shv=r20221130&mjsv=m202212010101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D47fa73a071d689b8%3AT%3D1670522442%3AS%3DALNI_MbrH8iGjATP2FnjJmPxS8gaSbJGUw&gpic=UID%3D00000ba682909277%3AT%3D1670522442%3ART%3D1670522442%3AS%3DALNI_MYGb3bhx36Mu33HfBRiyEXphO-_tg&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=1&correlator=5050864169009&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1881173834.1670522439&ga_sid=1670522444&ga_hid=957672488&ga_fc=1&u_tz=300&u_his=2&u_h=780&u_w=360&u_ah=780&u_aw=360&u_cd=24&u_sd=3&dmc=4&adx=30&ady=1608&biw=360&bih=648&scr_x=0&scr_y=4025&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759842%2C44777876%2C31071114%2C44779076%2C31067146%2C31067147%2C31067148&oid=2&pvsid=2498163923091303&tmod=1161167722&uas=1&nvt=1&topics=3&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C360%2C0%2C360%2C648%2C360%2C648&vis=1&rsz=%7Co%7CpeE%7C&abl=NS&pfx=0&fu=256&bc=31&td=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&fsb=1&xpc=BZsZDG5CF1&p=https%3A//www.healthline.com&dtd=3039

Dermstore

As the name implies, this is a web store, but it’s also a resource for anyone who is ready to move beyond moisturizer and wants guidance on what’s right — from ingredients to application techniques. Gather intel on how to pick the best products, especially if you’re on a budget. No persuasion or judgments, just honest advice delivered in an engaging, friend-to-friend manner.

Jenni Raincloud

For fans of the clean, natural, organic lifestyle, Jenni is an aesthetician based in Oklahoma who connects with those looking to make positive changes in their lives. Jenni offers help navigating the green beauty world, with a special focus on DIY skin care. She’ll tell you which essential oils to have, and even which plants can improve your home air quality.

The Natural Beauty Workshop

This one is for beauty DIYers and those interested in the journey of creating skin care and beauty products, not just shopping them from the aisles. You’ll find loads of natural beauty recipes — everything from bathtub treats to fragrances — along with resources on how to actually sell and market your creations.Yon-Ka is a luxury Parisian brand that isn’t for the budget-conscious. But if you’re a skin care aficionado who has been-there-shopped-that and you want an elevated view on next-level products and routines to try, you’ll find lots to love here. The website also includes tidbits such as understanding your skin’s pH balance and conquering inflammation, or why too much screen time might be hurting your skin.eed to know about keeping Black and Asian skin healthy and glowing. You’ll also find skin care tips from celebrities and “skinfluencers” around the internet. They’ll tell you what’s in their makeup bags, their favorite skin care products, and how to look after your feet until the nail salons can open again.

• Science
• Ingredients
• Routine
• Acne
• Conditions
• Procedures
• Products
• Sun Protection
• Natural
• Hair & Nails

https://827f64ef241b9b7af7611ba1dad57281.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The Best Skin Care Blogs of 2020

By Kelly Aiglon and Karen Lamoreux — Updated on July 15, 2020

Calling all glow getters: To learn about skin care, you can read all the fancy product packages, or you can simply take a cue from real people like you. Start with these bloggers, who are in the know about — and admittedly love — the endless array of treatments, lotions, and potions.

Every year, we comb through hundreds of blogs to find those that go above and beyond to educate, inspire, and empower. We’ve been most impressed with these — and know you’ll love them too. Their tips, tricks, and anecdotes will give you a fresh take on how you face the world.

NewBeauty

This one is for the beauty trend-obsessed (aka anyone who gets FOMO if they don’t have the latest products or missed out on the week’s big sales). Get an inside look at the glam skin care routines of celebrities, editors’ testimonials about experiences and innovations, and scoop from dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aesthetic experts.

ADVERTISEMENT

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&us_privacy=1YNY&gdpr_consent=tcunavailable&tcfe=3&client=ca-pub-4771166113579725&output=html&h=250&slotname=8916859196&adk=3117380889&adf=2975738966&pi=t.ma~as.8916859196&w=300&lmt=1670522465&rafmt=12&format=300×250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthline.com%2Fhealth%2Fbest-skin-care-blogs%236&wgl=1&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTEuMC4wIiwiIiwiQ1BIMTkxMSIsIjEwNy4wLjUzMDQuMTQxIixbXSx0cnVlLG51bGwsIiIsW1siR29vZ2xlIENocm9tZSIsIjEwNy4wLjUzMDQuMTQxIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEwNy4wLjUzMDQuMTQxIl0sWyJOb3Q9QT9CcmFuZCIsIjI0LjAuMC4wIl1dLGZhbHNlXQ..&dt=1670522462861&bpp=7&bdt=28357&idt=3000&shv=r20221130&mjsv=m202212010101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D47fa73a071d689b8%3AT%3D1670522442%3AS%3DALNI_MbrH8iGjATP2FnjJmPxS8gaSbJGUw&gpic=UID%3D00000ba682909277%3AT%3D1670522442%3ART%3D1670522442%3AS%3DALNI_MYGb3bhx36Mu33HfBRiyEXphO-_tg&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=1&correlator=5050864169009&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1881173834.1670522439&ga_sid=1670522444&ga_hid=957672488&ga_fc=1&u_tz=300&u_his=2&u_h=780&u_w=360&u_ah=780&u_aw=360&u_cd=24&u_sd=3&dmc=4&adx=30&ady=1608&biw=360&bih=648&scr_x=0&scr_y=4025&eid=44759876%2C44759927%2C44759842%2C44777876%2C31071114%2C44779076%2C31067146%2C31067147%2C31067148&oid=2&pvsid=2498163923091303&tmod=1161167722&uas=1&nvt=1&topics=3&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C360%2C0%2C360%2C648%2C360%2C648&vis=1&rsz=%7Co%7CpeE%7C&abl=NS&pfx=0&fu=256&bc=31&td=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&fsb=1&xpc=BZsZDG5CF1&p=https%3A//www.healthline.com&dtd=3039

Dermstore

As the name implies, this is a web store, but it’s also a resource for anyone who is ready to move beyond moisturizer and wants guidance on what’s right — from ingredients to application techniques. Gather intel on how to pick the best products, especially if you’re on a budget. No persuasion or judgments, just honest advice delivered in an engaging, friend-to-friend manner.

Jenni Raincloud

For fans of the clean, natural, organic lifestyle, Jenni is an aesthetician based in Oklahoma who connects with those looking to make positive changes in their lives. Jenni offers help navigating the green beauty world, with a special focus on DIY skin care. She’ll tell you which essential oils to have, and even which plants can improve your home air quality.

The Natural Beauty Workshop

This one is for beauty DIYers and those interested in the journey of creating skin care and beauty products, not just shopping them from the aisles. You’ll find loads of natural beauty recipes — everything from bathtub treats to fragrances — along with resources on how to actually sell and market your creations.

Yon-Ka

Yon-Ka is a luxury Parisian brand that isn’t for the budget-conscious. But if you’re a skin care aficionado who has been-there-shopped-that and you want an elevated view on next-level products and routines to try, you’ll find lots to love here. The website also includes tidbits such as understanding your skin’s pH balance and conquering inflammation, or why too much screen time might be hurting your skin.

Brown Beauty Talk

This blog began 7 years ago as the Twitter hashtag #BBT, which provided a weekly platform for Black and Asian women to discuss beauty issues. On the blog, you’ll find everything you need to know about keeping Black and Asian skin healthy and glowing. You’ll also find skin care tips from celebrities and “skinfluencers” around the internet. They’ll tell you what’s in their makeup bags, their favorite skin care products, and how to look after your feet until the nail salons can open again.

The Style and Beauty Doctor

Danielle Gray writes a beauty guide for women of all races, ages, and sizes. Her blog is committed to helping every woman find what looks good on their faces and bodies. Her blog covers skin care in detail and has sections for specialized areas, such as hyperpigmentation, dry skin, oily/combination skin, and sun care. She stays current on skin care issues, writing articles like “On wearing masks and makeup” and “How to treat and prevent maskne” (that’s acne that can occur with long-term mask use). Danielle welcomes inquiries from readers, whether it’s about your wardrobe, your search for the perfect red lipstick, or the latest fashion or beauty trend.

From burns to infections, these raw unaltered ingredients carry more risk outside a bottle

Leave it to the internet to give us wild ideas on what to slather on our skin as the latest pore minimizer or pimple destroyer. Unfortunately not everything we see from beauty bloggers and Instagram influencers is sage advice.

You’ve likely seen some of these ingredients in store-bought products — but when used alone or without proper sanitation and diluting methods, they have the potential to damage skin, especially over time.

Think twice about DIY methods from your fridge and pantry. Just because something is natural or raw doesn’t mean it’s good for your skin.

We’ve debunked these ingredients that range from gritty to goopy to gross so that you don’t have to give them a test drdrie

Egg white

Oh how convenient it would be to make your morning omelet, slick a little raw egg on your face, and then go about your day with tightened pores and smooth skin. That’s the claim made by proponents of the egg white face mask

MOSCOW
Russia’s defense ministry has said it has deployed mobile coastal defense missile systems on a northern Kuril island – part of a strategically located chain of islands that stretch between Japan and the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula.

Japan lays claim to the Russian-held southern Kuril islands that Tokyo calls the Northern Territories, a territorial row that dates back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized them from Japan.

The Russian Bastion missile systems, which have missiles with a flight range of up to 500 km, were deployed on the island of Paramushir in the northern portion of the Kuril Islands, the Russian defense ministry said on Monday.

“Coastal servicemen of the Pacific Fleet will keep a round-the-clock watch to control the adjacent water area and strait zones,” it said.

The ministry said that a military camp was set up on Paramushir with conditions allowing for year-round service, accommodation, recreation and food for personnel.

This deployment comes a year after Russia set up the Bastion systems on the island of Matua, in the central part of the Kuril ridge, the ministry said in a statement.

The Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a September report that overshadowed by the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s militarization of the Kuril Islands “has flown largely under the radar.”

“Russia’s steps to boost its presence suggest that the islands will continue to play a pernicious role in the future of Russo-Japanese relations and that Japan and the United States should deepen consultations regarding Russia’s activities in the region,” according to the report, published on the center’s website.

Japan has joined its Western allies in slapping economic sanctions on Russia after it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in what Moscow calls a “special military operation.” Ukraine and its allies say Russia launched an unprovoked war.

Russia withdrew from peace treaty talks with Japan and froze joint economic projects related to the disputed Kuril Islands because of Japanese sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Japan’s last-16 exit reflects highs and lows under Moriyasu

posed by the coronavirus pandemic, which reduced the already limited opportunities to assemble a full squad during the World Cup cycle.

He faced speculation about his job after Japan lost two of their first three fixtures in the final phase of Asian World Cup qualifying, but answered with a six-match win streak that enabled the Samurai Blue to punch their ticket to Qatar with a round to spare.

While Moriyasu’s team selections and an often conservative tactical approach have been lightning rods for his detractors, his orchestration of the victories over Germany and Spain should have answered any questions about his tactical judgment.

He helped Japan serve notice as a rising football power in Qatar, equaling their best-ever World Cup result in the process, but the team will nevertheless rue missing the opportunity to set a new benchmark.