Friends of Retha | Site-Wide Activity https://friendsofretha.org/activity/ Activity feed for the entire site. Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:49:52 +0100 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-GB 30 hourly 2 7a5caa77d008885739aab69ce2c4651c Chris Lewer started the topic Paul Ehrlich – Author Of The Population Bomb – Dies At 93 in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/paul-ehrlich-author-of-the-population-bomb-dies-at-93/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:49:03 +0100 Paul Ehrlich’s passing is a tremendous loss on so many levels, not least the fact that there seem to be very few overpopulation campaigners left. Jonathon Porritt, Yan Vana and David Attenborough are a few that come to mind.

What will people most remember about Paul Ehrlich?

]]> d3e299461a392dd9d0b41efdf9606b76 Peter Smith replied to the topic David Attenborough: The RSA Lecture (Video) in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/david-attenborough-the-rsa-lecture-video/#post-34616 Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:28:52 +0000 An incredible speech, one that I still watch. Overpopulation has always been unpopular with mainstream media. They seem to think that if you’re concerned about overpopulation, you’re advocating forced population control. People just need educating about the effects of it. Time is running out.

]]> 375880f89c3de1abf07d1beb996dd197 Chris Lewer started the topic David Attenborough: The RSA Lecture (Video) in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/david-attenborough-the-rsa-lecture-video/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:20:15 +0000 This is without doubt one of the defining lectures on the dangers of human overpopulation. Up to this point, Attenborough had been very vocal on the issue of overpopulation, but less so in recent years.

Is this because the topic still remains an unpalatable one for mainstream media?

]]> dfb71a93e080e4328ddc33793a4644c0 Chris Lewer started the topic Jonathon Porritt On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/jonathon-porritt-on-overpopulation/ Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:13:23 +0000 Sir Jonathon Porritt has been almost aggressively critical of organisations and government bodies that remain afraid of openly addressing human overpopulation.

Is a tougher approach the only way that this sensitive topic will become publicly acknowledged and debated?

]]> 9414e6029e53f6a8e7f7bcd8aa06b798 philipcombs became a registered member https://friendsofretha.org/activity/p/175/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:16:53 +0000 0 91cb8721110441a089d978bbad8255f4 Chris Lewer started the topic The 9 Countries With Highest Population Growth Rates in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/the-9-countries-with-highest-population-growth-rates/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:20:24 +0100 A number of these countries are on the African continent and it is estimated that Africa’s population will double by 2070, to over 3 billion.

How can anyone believe this is sustainable?

]]> ad3f51c5e3ad59aca37f33b49214d97d Chris Lewer started the topic Lily Cole On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/lily-cole-on-overpopulation/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:07:34 +0100 Lily Cole clearly acknowledges the threat human overpopulation poses to the planet. But she makes a very valid point about the need to also address consumption.

Is either issue more important, or more urgent, than the other?

]]> ac7bacf98eff9c2e6ad5081d8d62701d Chris Lewer started the topic Overpopulation: The Busiest Cruise Ports In The World in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-the-busiest-cruise-ports-in-the-world/ Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:22:56 +0100 As human population growth continues to spiral upwards, overtourism is becoming a more publicised consequence. It does beg the question though… who would want to spend their holiday shoulder-to-shoulder with tens of thousands of other people?

]]> 36ce80ac5a0a74594109f4a3fd57d3cf Chris Lewer started the topic Jane Fonda On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/jane-fonda-on-overpopulation/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:15:06 +0000 Jane Fonda is a truly inspiring woman and has always made it clear that you don’t need to be a scientist or expert to recognise that overpopulation is a threat to us all.

]]> 0c2b8bbac1f893043ff5847bbe083b7e Chris Lewer started the topic Barcelona Hits Record Population High in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/barcelona-hits-record-population-high/ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:14:42 +0000 Of course Barcelona’s population figures don’t include the 32 million tourists that visit the city each year, putting additional strain on local services and infrastructure.

]]> 42cb1305b0d7779ad1da200a90f79425 Chris Lewer started the topic Overpopulation: 2024 Confirmed As Hottest Year On Record in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-2024-confirmed-as-hottest-year-on-record/ Tue, 14 Jan 2025 11:49:37 +0000 This is both incredibly sad and extremely frightening, all at the same time. What is most frightening is the human capacity for self-destruction.

Is it even possible to turn this around?

]]> 090b445416fbf247f34a357495d0103e Chris Lewer started the topic $1 Billion US Climate Disasters In 2024 in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/1-billion-us-climate-disasters-in-2024/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:31:32 +0000 How many millions of people need to feel the effects of climate disasters before they wake up to the problem of climate change, driven by overpopulation?

]]> 9986f1a7ce03ef65e6b9191af6fef111 Chris Lewer started the topic Digital Population Clock Unveiled In India in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/digital-population-clock-unveiled-in-india/ Sun, 08 Dec 2024 07:57:46 +0000 Would having population clocks prominently displayed in all overpopulated places drive the message home? Would it make more people wake up to the issue of overpopulation?

]]> 012299edf1254a8f82604bd149b6dcb7 Chris Lewer started the topic Miley Cyrus On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/miley-cyrus-on-overpopulation/ Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:21:10 +0000 Are older generations more likely to ignore the issue of human overpopulation? Is it the young influencers like Miley Cyrus, with an almost intimate connection to younger generations, that hold the key to taking the overpopulation conversation mainstream?

]]> 573aa688a0a3433ac2bff8dc2ede7d09 Chris Lewer started the topic Overpopulation - The Rise Of Megacities in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-the-rise-of-megacities/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 13:45:56 +0000 There are so many unseen problems associated with megacities. One example is Mexico City, which, due to the lack of rainfall, has overexploited its the available groundwater. This has had unforeseen impacts on underground stability, increasing the likelihood of severe earthquakes.

]]> a5e39ea201548f9e55a85b9dbe7934f1 Chris Lewer started the topic China's Child Policy Changes Will Increase Carbon Emissions in the forum Activity https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/chinas-child-policy-changes-will-increase-carbon-emissions/ Sun, 20 Oct 2024 07:00:15 +0100 Could other countries successfully implement one-child policies? Or is our desire for freedom of choice greater than our desire for a healthier planet?

]]> 3bbbc23e1ccb84c8a1341c8e1e519fb4 Chris Lewer started the topic Jane Goodall On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/jane-goodall-on-overpopulation/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:22:39 +0100 Is reducing the planet’s human population the only way to combat climate change? If so, how could the population be reduced in a steady and sustainable way?

]]> 0c354fcfc2893d21c471c989d8d1c2ba Chris Lewer started the topic Population Growth Threatening America's Rivers in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/population-growth-threatening-americas-rivers/ Wed, 09 Oct 2024 09:54:32 +0100 Rivers and oceans… people have taken water for granted for far too long and billions of people are now suffering the consequences of this. Are the world’s rivers fixable? Can they be returned to how they were just a century ago?

]]> 4ffffaa8138fa7e8e656bb3d1b97b4f7 Chris Lewer started the topic Richard Nixon: A Message On Population in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/richard-nixon-a-message-on-population/ Sun, 04 Aug 2024 12:06:57 +0100 The concern at the time appears to be largely economic. In particular there being enough employment for a growing population. The connection to climate change, habitat loss, etc, still wasn’t widely considered.

]]> 9b7d4b01975f6d4b2b844d1f435472ea Chris Lewer started the topic Population Growth A Threat To Global Food Security in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/population-growth-a-threat-to-global-food-security/ Sat, 03 Aug 2024 11:35:39 +0100 Isn’t developing more advanced food practices just another example of attempting to mitigate the effects rather than addressing the cause? Dealing with population growth seems the first logical step to take in regions where farming cannot produce sufficient food to feed the population?

]]> 390ef41b179a81a9568054764d21a339 Chris Lewer started the topic Aldous Huxley On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/aldous-huxley-on-overpopulation/ Sat, 20 Jul 2024 14:36:45 +0100 Have you read Brave New World and, if so, what did you think? What are your favourite novels that deal with the topic of overpopulation?

]]> cceab45ae66c94aed2e52b9e8a4b8ff6 stevenearlsalmony became a registered member https://friendsofretha.org/activity/p/156/ Thu, 18 Jul 2024 14:04:22 +0100 0 98eaa7870bb2f47841063680efaa2420 Dave Gardner became a registered member https://friendsofretha.org/activity/p/155/ Tue, 16 Jul 2024 19:35:12 +0100 0 ae3994eb2f15e67d3106920f1d0faa4a Chris Lewer started the topic Paul R. Ehrlich And The Bomb That Keeps Ticking in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/paul-r-ehrlich-and-the-bomb-that-keeps-ticking/ Sun, 14 Jul 2024 14:42:31 +0100 On a regional basis, Ehrlich’s predictions about food supplies being insufficient to support local populations have become a modern day reality. Globally, 1 in 10 people go to bed hungry each night and 3 billion cannot afford, or don’t have access to, a nutritious diet. Should Ehrlich be given more credit for his findings and predictions?

]]> 48c252be3bf0298d2f88ad5df1ff0214 Gaia4291 became a registered member https://friendsofretha.org/activity/p/152/ Thu, 11 Jul 2024 14:46:29 +0100 0 8f025dd62f4056838b82ba4751179bec Chris Lewer started the topic Earth Overshoot Day 2024 in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/earth-overshoot-day-2024/ Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:53:49 +0100 Would changing our lifestyles and consumption habits be enough to push Earth Overshoot Day back? Surely the only solution is to stabilise the population and then begin a gradual decline in numbers over the coming decades?

]]> d672709cdbc5076ad3771f0ca4fd488e Chris Lewer started the topic Half Of World At Risk Of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/half-of-world-at-risk-of-mosquito-borne-diseases/ Sun, 30 Jun 2024 15:38:46 +0100 It’s ironic that human overpopulation, and mankind’s disregard for our climate, should result in an increased threat from diseases such as dengue and malaria. Scientists also believe that the disappearance of permafrosts due to global warming will also result in exposure to many diseases that have been kept buried for centuries.

What other…[Read more]

]]> 9b84943d42f09a49b7b19b005c6202df Chris Lewer started the topic Morgan Freeman On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/morgan-freeman-on-overpopulation/ Thu, 27 Jun 2024 16:32:42 +0100 Morgan Freeman’s comments really highlight the inability of most people to accept basic logic where overpopulation is concerned. More people equates to greater consumption of resources and the production of more waste. So why do the majority of people still bury their heads in the sand?

]]> 1c3ac9b783fa0a5a4b863bb32bcf6644 Chris Lewer started the topic Thomas Malthus: Still Relevant After More Than 200 Years in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/thomas-malthus-still-relevant-after-more-than-200-years/ Sun, 26 May 2024 10:40:22 +0100 Was Thomas Malthus correct in his predictions? It’s easy, of course, to argue that mankind has found a way to feed itself through the advancement of technology. But at what price? Destruction of natural habitats, use of pesticides and other chemicals, and methane release from intensive livestock farming are a few obvious ones.

]]> 03337f5796d2e838763d8fd6886a5dc8 Chris Lewer started the topic David Attenborough On Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/david-attenborough-on-overpopulation/ Tue, 21 May 2024 16:11:14 +0100 David Attenborough has received some criticism for his comments on human overpopulation and its impact on the planet. Surely no-one has earned the right more than David Attenborough has, to express a view on this topic?

]]> ad0852aa141285abda96b2d832989fdc Chris Lewer started the topic Earth Day 2024 in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/earth-day-2024/ Wed, 06 Mar 2024 15:24:36 +0000 It certainly makes more sense to focus on reducing the production of plastics as opposed to better recycling. Governments and private industry have proved that where recycling comes at a financial cost, they will take shortcuts wherever possible.

But is it not far more sensible to look at reducing the demand in the first place?

]]> 9731870bdc50b09be94fa6b7dab13e2b Chris Lewer started the topic Overpopulation Forcing Harmful Agricultural Practices in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-forcing-harmful-agricultural-practices/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:44:21 +0000 It’s almost the ultimate paradox. Overpopulation continues, through an over-stressed food chain, to cause further damage to the planet AND to human health. At the same time, we spend billions of dollars each year on healthcare and pharmaceuticals, to treat many of the health conditions that we have caused.

How will food production look by 2050,…[Read more]

]]> 884d4b5e28cf9c491caecc4d6a709836 Chris Lewer started the topic 22 US Species Declared Extinct In 2023 in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/22-us-species-declared-extinct-in-2023/ Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:01:03 +0000 Many scientists believe that habitat loss, pollution and climate change have gone beyond the ‘tipping point’ and that we have already entered the sixth mass extinction.

Is it even possible for endangered animal species to recover anymore? And what does it say about us as an intelligent species?

]]> a32e47f0e9aa2b7fa3b862ad74e8a313 Chris Lewer started the topic Population Grows By 75 Million In 2023 in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/population-grows-by-75-million-in-2023/ Mon, 01 Jan 2024 12:11:13 +0000 Will a slight slowing of the population growth rate simply allow the cynics and deniers to claim that overpopulation is not a serious issue?

If the planet is already struggling to sustain 8 billion, what will it look like at the end of the century with 11 billion?

]]> 2511f584cd21bcc485e43bdf0f335b6a Chris Lewer started the topic COP28 Fails To Discuss Overpopulation in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/cop28-fails-to-discuss-overpopulation/ Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:02:22 +0000 With COP28 failing to openly address the continuing problem of human overpopulation, will the focus always be on addressing the effects rather than the cause?

Do you think that overpopulation should be on the agenda at next year’s COP29?

]]> 06676d23e7ac5c57a85cda943bb83e45 Peter Smith became a registered member https://friendsofretha.org/activity/p/139/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:37:30 +0100 0 40ddaaebb419d80fb184d485fc9e1dc4 Chris Lewer started the topic India Now More Populated Than China in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/india-now-more-populated-than-china/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 09:51:58 +0100 With India’s human population surpassing an estimated 1.425 billion people, what are the likely impacts for this country and how will it affect the world more broadly?

Can we prevent earth’s population reaching a catastrophic 10 billion in the second half of this century?

]]> b02b7ed384e442e68951449cb7c548ac Ripley replied to the topic Overpopulation Responsible For Wildlife Extinction in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-responsible-for-wildlife-extinction/#post-13480 Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:32:02 +0100 It would certainly help if more people shifted to plant-based diets. Even eating less meat would help. Apart from anything else, it would show a greater level of respect for animals and their habitats.

]]> 4d658c426c5050233d45b89af2ccc61f Ripley replied to the topic Marine Litter in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/marine-litter/#post-13479 Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:26:58 +0100 For governments to take responsibility, we need responsible governments. But that will only happen if people are smart enough to vote them into office. And people need to make it clear that they want overpopulation on the agenda, so that it is openly discussed.

]]> 9383237054fdfd9da9724ed5e112169e DayWalker replied to the topic Marine Litter in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/marine-litter/#post-13471 Thu, 08 Jun 2023 08:48:14 +0100 Sure, it’s not a quick fix. None of the earth’s environmental problems are a quick fix.  But yes, we need to address the cause as well as engineer ways to repair the damage. If reducing the number of people on the planet deals with the cause, then governments need to be talking about that.

]]> 07474d19e00d8dfcde5dbc4a1102f895 Ocean Lover replied to the topic Marine Litter in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/marine-litter/#post-13468 Thu, 08 Jun 2023 08:32:47 +0100 Slowing population growth will certainly help to relieve some pressure on the oceans until we have developed better ways to both manage waste and clean up the waste that is already at sea.

]]> 2beef0eab277b6e72a4b2990624f75a0 Planet Watcher replied to the topic Marine Litter in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/marine-litter/#post-13466 Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:16:33 +0100 Yes, you’re right. But legislation will only address the problem and not the cause… which is too many people producing too much waste.

]]> 113ecd0945c8ece30ab2c6976a97c577 Freebird replied to the topic Marine Litter in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/marine-litter/#post-13464 Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:39:53 +0100 I think we are way past the point where individuals can do anything to reduce the marine litter problem, or even prevent it from getting worse. It will only become less of a problem if governments take responsibility and legislate better on plastics and waste management. But to do that, they need to put the environment before profits.

]]> 020bffb90df8fa39e89a6502309e65de DayWalker replied to the topic Countries With Highest CO2 Emissions in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/countries-with-highest-co2-emissions/#post-13483 Wed, 07 Jun 2023 09:59:14 +0100 I’m sure shipping must be responsible for significant CO2 emissions. Look how much is shipped around the globe by air, sea and land. Most of the fresh fruit I look at in the supermarket comes from overseas, so it all requires international shipping. How much would we reduce emissions by if we bought more from local producers?

]]> 333f8782eb74279921e0b80937c5b60e Chris Lewer started the topic Marine Litter in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/marine-litter/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 08:54:50 +0100 Approximately 8 million tonnes of man-made litter enters the earth’s oceans each year, causing the death of over 1 million seabirds and over 100,000 turtles and marine mammals annually.

What can we, as individuals, do to prevent or relieve this?

]]> 8947029c76d7ed665bfc06c95b4b2b63 Kora replied to the topic Overpopulation Responsible For Wildlife Extinction in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-responsible-for-wildlife-extinction/#post-13475 Tue, 06 Jun 2023 18:07:05 +0100 I think humans are definitely on borrowed time. I would like to think that it isn’t too late though. Would reducing human population turn things around? Yes it probably would, particularly if you combined population reduction with a more responsible attitude towards animal habitats, overfishing, etc.

]]> 02d712138ace30f4aa114c89d9d61326 DayWalker replied to the topic Overpopulation Responsible For Wildlife Extinction in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-responsible-for-wildlife-extinction/#post-13472 Tue, 06 Jun 2023 11:59:40 +0100 I’m not sure that mankind would survive a mass extinction. Everything on the planet is too interconnected, humans, animals, plants, ecosystems. A mass extinction would affect food and fresh water supplies at the very least.

]]> bf4e3aee1d977b8dff17b484c9d02cae Chris Lewer started the topic Overpopulation Responsible For Wildlife Extinction in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-responsible-for-wildlife-extinction/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 11:35:00 +0100 According to the World Wildlife Fund’s 2020 Living Planet Report, global populations of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and reptiles have declined on average by almost 70% since 1970.

Has human overpopulation started a sixth mass extinction? And what does this mean for the future of mankind?

]]> ad7494b7ac7ef27fb6a7509faed18830 Planet Watcher replied to the topic Countries With Highest CO2 Emissions in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/countries-with-highest-co2-emissions/#post-13467 Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:31:15 +0100 This is very true. China manufactures for much of the world, because it can do so cheaply. Manufacturing is one of the primary causes of CO2 emissions, but there are really two issues here. Firstly there are too many of us. Secondly, most us live our lives constantly upgrading old for new. We consume too much. This both increases waste (the old…[Read more]

]]> f1ec4c2d53266ea419bc691bab618765 Freebird replied to the topic Countries With Highest CO2 Emissions in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/countries-with-highest-co2-emissions/#post-13482 Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:54:44 +0100 Apart from possibly small island nations, all countries must collectively bear responsibility for CO2 emissions. We can’t just point the finger at the top 5 and say that they are to blame. Where were your car and television manufactured? Add to that the CO2 emissions from international shipping.

]]>