Global population and the environment

By Johanna Zetterberg, Conservation Program Coordinator

Sierra Club population activists visited this mother with her child in the Andes in Ecuador in 2003.

Did you know that the Sierra Club works internationally (and not just in Canada)? The Club has four international priority campaigns that expand our environmental mission, focusing on global warming, human rights, responsible trade, and global population.
Annette Souder, senior Washington representative of the Sierra Club Global Population and Environment Program, directs the Club's efforts in the global community to address the connection between population growth and the environment.
"From suburban America to the edge of the rainforest, increasing human population can lead to the destruction of wildlife habitat, deterioration of freshwater supplies and loss of farmland and forests," said Souder. "In many places, these trends contribute to increased childhood and maternal disease and mortality. Environmental degradation also interferes with international economic progress and global environmental protection."
Not surprisingly, the program's efforts are oriented toward solving problems, not just analyzing them. "There are realistic solutions to this global dilemma," said Souder. "One of the most comprehensive ways to address rapid population growth is through voluntary family planning programs. These programs have been successful in empowering families to choose how many children to have and when to have them, resulting in slowing fertility rates." This low-cost, voluntary assistance also has a direct impact on improving health, saving lives, and slowing global population growth.
Access to quality family planning services not only impacts the well being of families, but also how we coexist on this planet. Yet, the Bush administration continues to cut and restrict family-planning programs.
Souder and colleague Sarah Fairchild will speak on these issues at the Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee and Population and Consumption Committee meetings on Feb. 25 and 26, respectively. See Calendar for details.

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