The Population Institute Organizes "Global Population Speak Out"

At the request of John Feeney, the Colorado environmental activist who started last year's Global Population Speak Out (GPSO), the Population Institute has agreed to organize this year's campaign. GPSO is designed to bring new voices into the public debate over population, environment and sustainability.

Last year's campaign recruited over 200 academics, activists and scientists from all over the planet to step forward and speak out publically on the challenge the current size and growth of the human population presents to a sustainable future.  Supporters of GPSO agree to speak out during the month of February by writing articles, opinion pieces, or letters to the editor for publication in newspapers and journals or by participating in radio or television interviews.

Last year actress Alexandra Paul signed her name, along with prominent women scientists like Helena Frietas, Ph.D., Vice-President of the Board of the European Ecological Federation, and reproductive rights champions, like Linn Duvall Harwell. 

The GPSO has attracted global attention with the participation of people from 29 countries and  six continents.  This year, several more notables have joined the GPSO, including:

·        Martin Dieterich, President of the European Section of the Society for Conservation Biology.;

·        Arend de Haas, Director of Conservation at the African Conservation Foundation;

·        Corey Bradshaw, Research Director, Research Institute for Climate Change and Sustainability, University of Adelaide, Australia;

·        Stuart Pimm, Extraordinary Professor, Conservation Ecology Research Unit, University of Pretoria, South Africa; and

·        Malcolm Potts, Bixby Professor at the School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley.

In launching this year's GPSO, Bill Ryerson, President of the Population Institute, emphasized that, "We are promoting a new and responsible global discussion -- one that recognizes a healthy and stable population is a prerequisite of global sustainability."

Robert Walker, Executive Vice President of the Population Institute added, "In a world threatened by hunger, severe poverty, climate change, species extinction, resource depletion, and environmental degradation, we cannot ignore the impact of rapid population growth or the benefits that flow from educating and empowering women, and preventing unwanted and unintended pregnancies."

Anyone wishing to participate in the Global Population Speak Out, can send an e-mail to gpso@populationinstitute.org.  You can also visit the GPSO blog at: http://gpso.wordpress.com/