Remember when Americans used to care about population? [VIDEO]
by Lisa Hymas.
These
days, when even many environmentalists go out of their way to avoid
mention of the P word, it’s almost hard to believe that population used to
be a mainstream, widely discussed issue. Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, security
hawks were worried about global birthrates, average Americans were worried
about overcrowding, and enviros were worried about famine and wholesale
ecological collapse.
This
segment from PBS’s
Need to Know highlights some of
that history, including Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon each pledging to
tackle the threat of population growth, and Population
Bomb author Paul Ehrlich making some 20 appearances on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. The video also touches on
some of the controversial issues that would eventually lead so many people to
back away from population: the right-to-life movement, concerns from African
Americans and other minorities, and the hot-button topic of immigration.
Need to Know is a partner with Grist in the Climate Desk project.
This is
the latest in a series of GINK
videos about population and reproduction (or a lack thereof). It’s also part of Grist’s 7 Billion series.
Related Links:
An indigenous take on family planning and population
We can feed 10 billion of us, study finds—but it won’t be easy
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