Friends of Retha | Chris Lewer | Activity https://friendsofretha.org/members/frofrethaadmin/activity/ Activity feed for Chris Lewer. 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?

]]> 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?

]]> 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 Members 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?

]]> 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?

]]> 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?

]]> 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?

]]> 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?

]]> 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?

]]> 52632fef8228a795a661a8b7e657bcc9 Chris Lewer started the topic Countries With Highest CO2 Emissions in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/countries-with-highest-co2-emissions/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:22:24 +0100 According to data from the Global Carbon Project, China, USA, India, Russia and Japan are the top five CO2 producing countries. But should other nations also bear responsibility for this?

China’s manufacturing industry, for example, is one of the primary causes of CO2 emissions. Yet most of China’s manufactured goods are for export to other…[Read more]

]]> 89cbdc50b4cd1b419a937dbc017ff619 Chris Lewer started the topic Overpopulation And Man-Made Waste in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/overpopulation-and-man-made-waste/ Sun, 04 Jun 2023 09:46:36 +0100 Mankind currently produces 2 billion tonnes of waste each year. And according to a recent report by The World Bank, if current industrialisation and urbanisation trends continue, that figure will increase by a further 70% by 2050.

Is it really possible to reduce waste as the world’s population continues to grow?

]]> abb7466c4ace96e35b4058268dc0476f Chris Lewer started the topic Rising Ocean Temperatures in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/rising-ocean-temperatures/ Sat, 03 Jun 2023 11:58:03 +0100 Scientists believe that ocean waters are now at the highest temperature they have been for over 1,000 years and heating at a faster rate than at any time in the last 2,000 years. A global sea level rise of around 1 metre is predicted by the end of the century, endangering more than 200 million people worldwide.

Should mankind focus its energy…[Read more]

]]> 18e7dcb4363c2ba7ce4f045a71111fb8 Chris Lewer started the topic Empowering Women To Reduce The Population in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/empowering-women-to-reduce-the-population/ Sat, 03 Jun 2023 11:51:39 +0100 A recent study by Project Drawdown revealed that an estimated 225 million women have an unmet need for voluntary reproductive healthcare. The study argues that reducing future populations by empowering women through education and reproductive healthcare, could help to cut 85 Gigatonnes of CO2 emissions by 2050.

Do you think that empowering…[Read more]

]]> baa16728d222dcf4eabeb07148e787a6 Chris Lewer started the topic The Great Acceleration in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/the-great-acceleration/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 12:16:34 +0100 Although modern humans have existed for the last 200,000 years, it is only the last 60 years – a period sometimes referred to as ‘The Great Acceleration’ – where man’s collective behaviour has been so dramatic, damaging and (in many cases) irreversible.

What has been the most damaging consequence of human overpopulation… CO2 emissions…[Read more]

]]> 2fc5239a5b61b1b00351a95bbe243f4b Chris Lewer started the topic US Population Growth v Consumption in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/us-population-growth-v-consumption/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:02:43 +0100 During the 20th century, the population of the United States increased by just over 3-fold, rising from 76 million to 282 million. During that same period, there was a 17-fold increase in the U.S.’s consumption of raw materials.

Is reducing 21st Century consumption enough, or is it critical that the planet’s population decreases?

]]> e695d92c4e7bef2efc19ca22d5e18406 Chris Lewer started the topic 1 Billion People In 11 Years in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/1-billion-people-in-11-years/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:10:00 +0100 According to UN figures, between 1999 and October 2011 (12 years), the world’s human population went from 6 billion to 7 billion. Around November 15 2022, that figure reached 8 billion, a further increase of 1 billion in just 11 years.

How many more people can our planet actually sustain long-term? And what is likely to collapse first… e…[Read more]

]]> 09e852b5f01afc2b77c94d772fc258fe Chris Lewer started the topic Most Densely Populated Cities in the forum Overpopulation Discussions https://friendsofretha.org/forums/topic/most-densely-populated-cities/ Wed, 31 May 2023 12:21:22 +0100 In 2018, 1.7 billion people (23% of the world’s population) lived in a city with at least 1 million inhabitants. It is estimated that by 2030, 28% of people worldwide will be concentrated in cities with at least 1 million inhabitants.

Has urbanisation gone too far? Is it possible to avoid the rise of megacities (more than 10 million i…[Read more]

]]>