This week’s solar eclipse was quite the sight to behold. Hopefully it fostered a greater respect and understanding of nature - and that people are part of the web of life. A change in attitude is needed, for as we noted last month, Earth is in overshoot, with humanity consuming resources at an unsustainable rate.
Our appetites and our numbers will keep increasing for the foreseeable future. Population Reference Bureau just released their annual World Population Data Sheet, which predicts world population will reach 9.8 billion in 2050, up 31 percent from an estimated 7.5 billion today.
The population of Africa will more than double to 2.6 billion by 2050, accounting for more than half (57 percent) of the global population increase. This is why Transition Earth supports population, health and environment initiatives, which can be a game-changer for communities around the world.
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Our New Factsheet on the Anthropocene is Out!
As the human population continues to grow, it is having a major and undeniable impact on the planet, to such an extent that we have entered what many scientists consider a new geological era – the Anthropocene. A 2016 study found that accelerating technological change and a growth in population and consumption have driven the move into the Anthropocene.
Released earlier this month on Earth Overshoot Day, our factsheet provides a brief overview of what the Anthropocene period means, and some solutions for coping with it. Download it here. |
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Elephants and Family Planning Oh My!
What does voluntary family planning have to do with elephants? Quite a bit. The biggest threats to elephants and most wild creatures are habitat loss and poaching, along with charcoal production and even diseases (especially with primates). In other words, human threats.
On World Elephant Day, recognized on August 12th, Transition Earth published this blog article to highlight the connections between family planning and endangered animals and how investing in people can be the proverbial "win-win" for nature and communities.
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Checking in on Youth: Update From Borneo
Our friends at ASRI celebrated their 10th anniversary this month! To mark the occasion, they hosted an open house and festival on hospital grounds. ASRI Teens set up conservation demonstrations (such as how to make their signature recycled paper), and led field games on the lawn of the new training hospital.
ASRI Teens participation in conservation education and community involvement continues to grow. This program is not only beneficial to local youth, but is an investment in ASRI's future. Dedicated ASRI Teens may one day return as ASRI doctors, cultivating local talent instead of importing specialists from Java and Sumatra.
Whether it’s in Borneo or Berkeley, nurturing and supporting the interest of youth in conservation is critical for not only their current and future well-being, but for all of us.
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ASRI Teens at ASRI's 10th anniversary celebration.
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Getting the Word Out on Population, Health & Environment
Transition Earth is involved with a documentary on conservation, health and development that is being produced by Chris Austria Productions. We spent time in Uganda with Chris and his film crew for initial filming and a site visit to Conservation Through Public Health. Founded by Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, CTPH is having great success with the PHE model in empowering communities and protecting nature (especially the endangered mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park).
Watch a short overview of the film project:
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The PHE approach and the work of CTPH.
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Uganda Report-back:
Hope for People and the Planet
Now that we have returned from Uganda, we’ll be having our first report-back with Chris Austria next month. On September 19th we are doing a presentation sponsored by the Population, Health and Environment (PHE) Committee of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club on how linking conservation, health and development is changing lives in Uganda, and helping protect some of the country’s most iconic and precious species.
When: September 19th at 7pm
Where: SF Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club, 2530 San Pablo Ave # I, Berkeley, CA
Snacks and refreshments will be provided! Please email us for more information.
Til next month,
Suzanne
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