Tag Archives: environmental reporter

Less Is More: On Population, More or Less

The United Nations forecasts that by 2050 the world’s population will exceed 9 billion. How will that affect life on the local level, on the global level, and in developing countries? And what impact will all these new humans have on the climate? Last week on Sea Change Radio we talked with Paul Ehrlich, iconic authority on the subject of population. This week on Sea Change Radio, we continue our exploration of the topic. First, host Alex Wise speaks with New York Times environmental reporter and Dot Earth blogger, Andrew Revkin, and then later with Stewart Brand, frequent guest, former student of Paul Ehrlich, and environmentalist icon in his own right. Both guests share their thoughts on how immigration, urbanization, religion, and the increasing global empowerment of women are affecting the population equation.

For more on the ongoing debates surrounding population, check out Mr. Revkin’s recent posts here and here via Dot Earth. Also, here’s an interesting piece by Adam Werbach in The Atlantic which offers a fresh perspective on the debate, and exhorts  us “to move away from the language of population control and towards an even more vibrant advocacy on behalf of women.”

California’s Prop. 23 – A State Measure With Global Implications

When it comes to legitimate, progressive climate change policy, the U.S. has certainly dropped the ball on the global stage. In 2006, California began a bid to reverse this trend with Assembly Bill 32 – the Global Warming Solutions Act, that aggressively tries to address the climate crisis. Since California is the nation’s most populous state and the world’s 8th largest economy, its leadership on climate change can have a far-reaching impact. But the Global Warming Solutions Act is under attack. This Fall, Californians will vote on Proposition 23, a ballot initiative designed to reverse themeasures of the 2006 climate law.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we take an in-depth look at Proposition 23. We hear from LA Times environmental reporter, Margot Roosevelt and speak to activists and legislators working to to defeat Prop. 23, including No On 23 spokesman, Steve Maviglio, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, and Democracy For America‘s Janet Stromberg.

Read the show transcript