Addressing the connection between human population growth, consumption, and the climate and wildlife extinction crises.
ABOUT OUR POPULATION AND SUSTAINABILITY WORK
The Center’s Population and Sustainability program addresses the impacts on wildlife and the environment that are caused by human population pressure and destructive consumption and production. We fight for solutions that advance justice, equity, health, and a compassionate world where both people and wildlife can thrive.
To protect the wild, we use creative media, advocacy and public outreach to raise awareness about human population growth and unsustainable consumption — and their direct connection to the climate and extinction crises.
Our innovative campaigns — like our award-winning Endangered Species Condoms and Take Extinction Off Your Plate projects — build toward a just and sustainable future, including the empowerment of women and girls, universal access to reproductive healthcare and education, a healthy and secure food system, a less extractive economic system, and a commitment to protecting wildlife and wild places.
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Species Spotlight: Jaguar
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Cburnett - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
MILESTONES
- Distributed more than 1.5 million Endangered Species Condoms across the United States at schools, universities, museums, science centers, zoos, aquariums, local businesses, farmers’ markets, festivals, and hundreds of community events.
- Created the first full-time program from a major environmental group, Take Extinction Off Your Plate, addressing the devastating impact of the meat industry on wildlife.
- Co-led the development of the U.S. Just Food Transition Roadmap in consultation with more than 20 labor, environmental, public health, and food advocacy groups as part of the growing global Just Food Transition Network calling for a phase-out of industrial animal production.
- Published A Model for Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Guidelines for Americans to provide evidence-based nutrition recommendations to local governments and institutions.
- Created a groundbreaking initiative to address the disruption of reproductive health services during climate-related disasters by including sexual health in emergency preparedness.
- Published a report exploring the harms caused to reproductive and environmental health by fossil fuel extraction, plastic production, pollution from industrial agriculture, and climate catastrophe under market capitalism, which is being used to educate healthcare professionals on these interconnected issues.
- Created an in-depth, research-based website on myths and facts about the harmful effects of cattle grazing on wildlife and wild places.
- Launched innovative campaigns to challenge consumer culture, including the Wildlife-friendly Wedding Guide, Simplify the Holidays, and the SoKind Alternative Gift Registry.
- Led a coalition that successfully advocated for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to update the federal food code to make it easier for states to allow reusable containers to replace single-use plastics in restaurants, bulk grocery store aisles, deli counters and at events.
- Generated momentous media attention on the often-ignored but far-reaching problems of human population pressure and consumption in top outlets, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Scientific American, The New Republic, and dozens of radio and podcast appearances.
Take Action: Current Action Alerts
Spotlight Campaigns
ON MEDIUM
Check out our new Wildlife-Friendly School Food publication on Medium, about how to make classrooms, cafeterias, and campuses better for wildlife.
Also read our publication Checked Out, about how U.S. supermarkets fail to make the grade in reducing food waste.
