News from July

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POPULATION MATTERS SUPPORTERS' UPDATE

JULY 2019

Director's message

ROYAL ENDORSEMENT FOR PM’S MESSAGE

July proved a busy and productive month for us – World Population Day
with PM events on three continents; Earth Overshoot Day offering further
opportunities for adding our voice; and then Prince Harry’s
headline-making interview in Vogue [3] with our own patron Jane Goodall.
"Two, maximum!", he replied to Dame Jane's prompt on desired family size.
Cue: media frenzy seeking PM’s views, as the ‘go to organisation’ on
population generally and in promoting the benefits to people and planet of
choosing smaller families.

Our World Population Day events exceeded expectations, more than meeting
our ambition to simply mark WPD in three locations globally: London, Lagos,
and New York. Lagos, Nigeria deserves special mention, due to the very warm
welcome we were given by our partners for the event, the Nigerian
Conservation Foundation.

As per Prince Harry’s public endorsement for choosing smaller families,
positive energy and events generate more of the same – and so we want to
ramp up our ambitions for World Population Day 2020, partnering with more
like-minded organisations globally, and building on the welcome and support
we received in Nigeria. PM is truly going global. If you can, PLEASE
SUPPORT US IN THAT AMBITION BY BECOMING A MEMBER TODAY [4]. Thank you.

- Robin Maynard, Director, Population Matters

NEWS FROM POPULATION MATTERS

World Population Day: three continents, one message

This World Population Day, 11 July 2019, Population Matters went global by
running successful events on three continents. Thanks to our supporters and
allies, we brought our energising, positive messages to audiences in Lagos,
London, and New York, developing new relationships, raising awareness of
the need for action, and pushing population up the international agenda.

Read more [5]

Prince Harry says "Two, maximum!"

In an interview for British Vogue, Prince Harry told our Patron Dr Jane
Goodall that he and Meghan Markle will limit their family size to two
children because of concern for the environment. This caused a welcome
surge in media enquiries for Population Matters - you can see some of the
resulting stories on our media coverage page [6]. Click below for an
article on the "environmental ethics of having kids" in the _Evening
Standard_ which quotes our Head of Campaigns Alistair.

Read more [7]

POPULATION

Forget five-a-day: billions won't have enough fruit and veg by 2050

A new study in _The Lancet_ analysing the gap between future fruit and
vegetable supply and recommended consumption levels found that even under
the most optimistic development scenario, there won’t be enough to go
around by mid-century.

Read more [8]

Earliest ever Earth Overshoot Day

This year's Earth Overshoot Day fell on 29 July - the earliest it has ever
been. Earth Overshoot Day marks the day on which humanity has used up
nature's resource budget for the entire year. In other words, due to
increasing population and consumption, we are now using resources 1.75
times faster than they can regenerate, with devastating consequences.

Read more [9]

ENVIRONMENT

Human population density main driver of nature loss in Africa

A new study reveals that rapid human population growth is the biggest
driver of environmental degradation in African countries, highlighting the
urgent need for greater investment in family planning as a pathway to
achieving biodiversity and sustainable development targets.

Read more [10]

No conservation successes in latest Red List update

According to the latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species,
not a single species has improved in conservation status. More species than
ever before are now threatened with extinction, primarily due to habitat
destruction and overexploitation, both of which are fuelled by human
population growth.

Read more [11]

WOMEN'S RIGHTS & SEXUAL HEALTH

Ex-Mormon speaks out on need for smaller families

_Buzzfeed_ recently published an excellent, thoughtful opinion piece by a
former Mormon about her choice to have a small family for the greater
benefit of the planet we live on, despite the social pressures she
encountered. Another encouraging sign that population concern is becoming
more mainstream!

Read more [12]

Unkept promises on women's rights and family planning

In 1994, world leaders came together at the International Conference on
Population and Development in Cairo and adopted a visionary Programme of
Action to empower women. Unfortunately, progress on advancing women's
health and rights has been woefully inadequate. Here's a good summary of
undelivered promises, 25 years later.

Read more [13]

TAKE ACTION

Join us

Do you share our vision for a better future with a good quality of life for
all, a healthy and biodiverse environment, and a stable and sustainable
population size? The most effective way for you to support us is to become
a member. The regular contributions from our members (spread across 60
different countries!) allow us to plan our campaigns in the long-term and
maximise their effectiveness. As a member, you'll receive a welcome pack,
our bi-annual magazine, and invitations to exclusive events. Click below to
learn more.

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© 2019 Population Matters

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