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Blog Post 9 Final Infographic

Polansky, Lee S., et al. “Barriers to Effective Contraceptive Use.” PopConnect, www.populationconnection.org/article/barriers-effective-contraceptive-use/.

Polansky, Lee S., et al. “Abstinence-Only Education Fails Teens.” PopConnect, www.populationconnection.org/article/abstinence-education-fails-teens/.

Polansky, Lee S., et al. “Mission and Programs.” PopConnect, www.populationconnection.org/us/mission/.

Roser, Max. “About.” Our World in Data, ourworldindata.org/about.

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Blog Post 8: Civic Assessment of Issue

My role as a responsible citizen includes paying attention to political decisions that impact my community, and helping to inform others about those issues. I’ve learned that everyone should take their civic responsibility serious because if we do not provide our input the results will not be in our favor. Some of the most important civic duties are informed voting, jury duty and staying up to date on current events. Last year in AP Environmental Science the overpopulation was fascinating for me because it combined my interests in population, environmental issues, and women’s empowerment. I didn't think it was something I was able to take action about at this age, however after my research for this project, I found multiple ways I could have become involved. Even though high school is coming to a close, I still have those opportunities in college, so that is definitely something I am thinking about taking part in. I might try to start an organization either through the interest group population connection, or inspired by it. Since I will be attending art school I think it would be cool to find creative and expressive ways to educate about this topic. Actions that this organization could take would be contacting representatives to make decisions that help solve our issue, hosting informational speakers or films, and fundraising for more family planning programs and contraception access. I did not have time to find an action project this spring, but I am looking for ways I can get involved over the summer because I am genuinely interested in this topic.   

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Blog Post 7 The 3 P’s Assessment: Parties, Political Interest Groups and PAC’s

The Republican Party has shown their stance against planned parenthood and other similar organizations and promoted abstinence only sexual education programs. On their website they claimed that women are distracting voters with “rhetoric” about abortion and contraception when unemployment is a more important issue.The Democratic Party’s platform on health care is “Democrats have been fighting to secure universal health care for the American people for generations, and we are proud to be the party that passed Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act” This helps combat overpopulation by providing people with the healthcare they need which can reduce the infant mortality rate. Libertarians “believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration” when it comes to abortion and they support a free-market health care system. The Green Party “supports single-payer universal health care” and believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. They also stand by “a woman's right to reproductive choice, no matter her marital status or age, and that contraception and safe, legal abortion procedures be available on demand and be included in all health insurance coverage in the U.S., as well as free of charge in any state where a woman's income falls below the poverty level” They are also very supportive of ecological sustainability which goes hand in hand with overpopulation. The Peace and Freedom Party work for equality and empowerment for women. They state “Sexism is a major instrument for teaching relations of domination and inequality and for keeping one- half of the workforce underpaid or unpaid”. With health care they believe that “access to quality medical and dental care is a basic human right” and stand for a “democratically-controlled, publicly-funded health care system”. They also fight for environmental sustainability. One National Interest Group I found that represents overpopulation is Population Connection which educates about overpopulation and and pressures politicians to strengthen their reproductive health services in order to avoid the harms of overpopulation in the future. Their statement is “Population Connection works to ensure that every woman around the world who wants to delay or end childbearing has access to the health services and contraceptive supplies she needs in order to do so.” They provide workshops for schools, zoos, nature centers, and museums with how to incorporate population concepts into their lessons to ensure a more well informed public. They have lobbied in Washington for increased contraception access and they hold informational booths at farmers markets and other events. In March they marched in D.C. to support the Global HER Act and a $1.2 billion U.S. investment in international family planning which included $70 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Most of their volunteer opportunities include writing to legislation or offering to hold an informative booth. There was no State Interest Group that was directly about population control but one that relates is American Association of University Women of California. They work to empower women and improve the lives of them and their families. AAUW’s statement on reproductive rights is supportive of the “right of every woman to safe, accessible, affordable, and comprehensive family planning and reproductive health services” They have been supportive of the many sexual harassment prevention bills that have been introduced lately and they are cosponsoring two bills: AB 2282  that prohibits employers form against using previous salaries to discriminate and SB 1284 for pay transparency. There is a Lamorinda branch with Laura Wittenberg as the president. They host feminist events and informative gatherings many times a month. Both organizations are some of the largest in their main category. They are both very successful but it seem like AAUW is more active probably because the issue is more general and it is clearly directed in each of its many branches. A PAC that I discovered is Emily’s List, which helps get pro choice officials elected.They have received $40,710,828 and spent $35,245,689 entirely on Democrats. Most of their donors are women or people part of Democratic committees.

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Blog Post 6- Executive Action Assessment of Issue

I looked for information concerning overpopulation on Trump’s healthcare page. Most of his commentary was about his stance against Obamacare, but I was able to find a statement about National Women’s Health Week on this page. He claims that he is working towards “advancements in medical research, rapid reviews and approvals of new safe and effective therapies, and affordable treatments and care options” to benefit women’s health. He focused on the issue of opioid use disorder among women and mothers. He wrote that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is working to help treat pregnant women and new mothers with opioid addiction. Another action he took to benefit women’s health was signing an Executive Order to increase access to fitness and nutrition, and athletics, especially for girls from economically challenged communities. Although many of these actions may not seem directly related to overpopulation, they are improving women’s health which could help lower the infant mortality rate and also assisting girls in poverty to live healthy stable lives. I didn't see any information on this page about contraception access and sex education, but I have learned from other articles that Trump is against planned parenthood and other similar organizations, and he had promoted abstinence only sexual education programs. These are negative actions that take steps backwards in trying to prevent unprepared pregnancy.

In the cabinet, Alex Azar is the secretary of health and human services. The cabinet’s mission statement is: “Established in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the Cabinet’s role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.” Some helpful information the HHS website provides is help with how to talk to teens about sexual education, statistics on reproductive health, contraception use, STDs, and costs of teen pregnancy. They provide locations of clinics where one can find family planning or contraceptive services. Another initiative that I found important was the child support enforcement where they try to promote parental responsibility. It is known that Trump was trying to exclude medicaid users from access to planned parenthood services. This would be bad because 2.5 million people rely on Planned Parenthood for various health care services.

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Blog Post #5 Legislative Action

Mark Desaulnier supports women’s reproductive rights and is a cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act. He also has backed acts that work for gender equality and empowering women. Senator Dianne Feinstein has also been fighting for female empowerment especially when it comes to their reproductive rights. When the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, a senate bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, was brought up she commented: “This is just another example of men making decisions about women’s health care based on a political ideology. It’s long past time that a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions and control her own destiny is respected. We will fight efforts to erode those rights at every turn”. Senator Harris also strongly disagreed with this act and pointed out that it is unconstitutional against Roe v. Wade and unjustly steals women’s rights to their bodies. She fights for access to contraception and family planning for all women.

One bill that is relevant to my issue right now is HOUSE BILL H.R. 421, The Allowing Greater Access to Safe and Effective Contraception Act, which would make the FDA prioritize applications for contraceptives accessed over the counter and not just by prescription. I would vote yea, because this would make it easier for women to access safe and affordable birth control so they can properly family plan. This originated in the house and was referred to the  Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Energy and Commerce and to the Subcommittee on Health. It has not been signed by the president.

One article that was retweeted by Mr.s Anderson was regarding how maternal care is being redesigned. It is written by Nina Martina and posted on National Public Radio. Doctors are pushing for an increase in maternal health care and for it to be covered by insurance. Due to the high numbers of women and fetuses that are harmed through childbirth they believe that care during and after pregnancy should be more frequent and detailed. This is significant in my issue because this could help lower the infant mortality rate and allow mothers to family plan better. I think the new guidelines that are being set could have a very positive impact, as it will prevent many of the health issues that can occur for mothers.

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Blog Post #4 State Action

Assemblywoman Catherine Baker often breaks her republican stance to show support for such issues as women’s equality and reproductive rights, which play a large role in overpopulation. Baker voted to pass a bill (AB 569) that prohibited discrimination against women’s contraceptive methods in the workplace: “Prohibits an employer from taking adverse action against an employee or family member for their reproductive health decisions, including, but not limited to the use of any drug, device, or medical service.” I think that it is important that even though she is a republican she listens to her voters and uses her role as a woman in power to empower other women. Senator Glazer shows similar support for these issues, and both him and Baker are backed by planned parenthood. He has helped pass important bills for reproductive rights including AB 517 for Sexual Education Course Materials and SB 999 12-Month Supply of Birth Control which helped make contraception and sexual education more available. SB 1023 is an act to amend sections of the health and safety and insurance codes to provide better reproductive health care. It was introduced February 7th 2018 and amended in the Senate on March 12th, 2018. It was very important that this bill clarified that “clinical family planning services are provided to a person who has a family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, as revised annually, and who is eligible to receive these services”. This helps women in poverty prevent unwanted pregnancies and provide them with the care they need. Our representatives should support bills like this because overpopulation can be lessened by providing women with adequate care in order to lower the infant mortality rate. 

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Blog Post 3 - Constitutional Issues

The case I found that regards overpopulation and women’s rights to contraception is Zubik v. Burwell. It was decided by the Supreme Court in 2016. This case was arguing if religious organizations being required offer health plans that include contraceptive services under the affordable care act violate their religious freedom. The appellate courts decided that the religious organizations were not able to prove that their religious freedoms were infringed by mandating the provision of contraceptive services. This case involves the Affordable Care Act, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment. The Supreme Court refused to take this case and sent it back to the Court of Appeals so they could determine how to advance in a way that respects the organization’s religious ideals and also provides for contraceptive coverage. This case was similar to the Hobby Lobby case of 2014 which granted many businesses the freedom to refuse contraceptive coverage if they claim if conflicts with their religious views. Making decisions that make it harder for women to access contraceptives hinders the progress we have made with women’s reproductive rights. Although it is usually different in the U.S., cultural and religious ideals are behind high birth rates in many developing countries. Finding ways to respect those ideals but also empower women to have a say in their reproductive rights is crucial to reducing overpopulation, and it starts by the U.S. setting examples.

The article I found is written by Ann Hoevel and was published on CNN. She provides different opinions from environmentalists and city planners about overpopulation. She addresses the consequences of overpopulation and how birth rates are an important factor. Some are not worried and believe that the population will level off naturally, while others are stressed about natural resource use, health issues and waste disposal. The author shows little personal opinion and provides information and a range of different views. It seems like it is written for people interested in learning more about overpopulation and it enables them to decide for themselves if it seems like a pressing issue or not.

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Blog Post 2- Economic Assessment of Issue

Everyone is affected by overpopulation. The higher the population, the higher the demand for natural resources such as fresh water, food and land. Since overpopulation is a larger issue in impoverished areas it affects the government by increasing the need for public services and support. Businesses would be affected because unemployment would increase. The resolution of this issue is a need, as many urgent environmental issues are connected to overpopulation. Working to find solutions for overpopulation would simultaneously help other issues such as limiting resource use, habitat loss, and poverty, and elevating underdeveloped nations and women’s rights. Solving this issue would require efforts to elevate the status of women and provide family planning services and make contraception more available especially in areas of poverty. Another way would be to establish government incentives to those who have a smaller family. Decreasing the child mortality rate would be another factor in solving overpopulation, this is done by establishing better health care especially for pregnant women. The incentives for working to solve this issue would be a world that is cleaner, safer and more responsible. Reasonable population levels would help drastically in limiting resource use, and governments would be able to support their citizens more easily.  The opportunity cost would be that developed nations would need to stop focusing on themselves and their progress for a while in order for money to be distributed to elevate areas of poverty and establish health services. This is not exactly a result of an externality, it is the result of the combination of a progressing world and areas that have not been able to progress. The mortality age is higher and medical care is more advanced which results in prolonged life, and on the other end impoverished areas have high child mortality rates and a lack of contraception access which causes a high number of births. The issue could be reduced if governments offered incentives to having a smaller family.The graph is from ourworldindata.org which is an established website that presents data on our world population. It shows 'more developed', 'less developed' and 'least developed' countries and their predicted change until 2100. The data came from the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. This website provides information and statistics but no opinions on overpopulation.

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Getting Started- Overpopulation

I think the FPvoices blog pertains to my issue of overpopulation. This blog provides details of family planning efforts in mostly developing countries. They provide different perspectives from people and their experiences, including women that have used the family planning services. Since I am interested in the women’s rights and contraceptive availability aspect of overpopulation I thought this blog might provide interesting information. I am following FP voices, CNN, NBS, Planned Parenthood, and Girl Up. I thought these blogs would provide stories of any women’s rights movements and their status in developing countries/poverty and political views on the issue. So far I have seen some tweets and short blogs that push for a change in social mindsets that “everyone should have kids”. Many argue that adults feel pressured into having children when they might not want to or be ready. Some claim that the amount of people is not the problem, and instead farmland and food production is a larger environmental issue. I am looking forward to finding more information and opinions on overpopulation.

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Colonization by Another Name: “Overpopulation” and Puerto Rico

In the 1920’s the United States government alongside Health Care Professionals and Academics began using the term “overpopulation” to explain the economic problems that were beginning to affect the people of Puerto Rico. They argued that the reason the Puerto Rican family was increasingly falling into conditions of poverty was because they, particularly Puerto Rican women, were too sexually promiscuous and lacked the intelligence to see that their over-reproduction was giving them more children than they could sustain and thus placing them, and the island as a whole, in a position of poverty. From that moment till quite recently the rhetoric of “overpopulation” shaped every single debate regarding Puerto Rican reality. Nationalists—and later The Young Lords—argued that the “Yankees” spoke about “overproduction” so as to control the Puerto Rican family. Eugenicists who wanted to rid the earth of these Puerto Rican “mongrels” began advocating for forced sterilization policies on the basis of limiting the reproduction of this “overpopulated"—and "uneducated, diseased, impoverished"—people. Social Workers and Church Missionaries argued that Puerto Rican women should take Birth Control to limit the number of children they had so as to not contribute to "overpopulation” and poverty.

The point I’m trying to make, especially in the last example, is not whether or not someone, particularly a woman, should or should not choose to take birth control for personal, moral, or economic reasons—that is not my choice to make nor does my opinion matter on someone’s choice matter, especially as a cis-male.

Rather what I wish to highlight in using these examples is to show how the rhetoric of “overpopulation"—that was not original to the Puerto Rican imagination—framed the conversation of Puerto Rico’s economic situation for about a century. The U.S. colonizers explained poverty in Puerto Rico using the idea of "overpopulation” and everyone that responded to the economic reality of Puerto Rico used this same rhetoric. Why is this significant? Because in using “overpopulation” the U.S. colonizers were able to center the conversation of Puerto Rican status and poverty on the reproduction of, particularly, Puerto Rican women, thus masking how their colonial policies pillaged Puerto Rico’s economic vitality through introducing provisions that allowed multinational corporations to take the overwhelming majority of Puerto Rico’s wealth without having to pay taxes or provide provisions to the Puerto Rican people. In other words, through the rhetoric of “overpopulation” these primarily white male U.S. decision makers framed the conversation about Puerto Rican status and poverty around the promiscuity of Puerto Ricans, generally, and Puerto Rican women, particularly, in such a way that even attempts at liberation needed to respond to questions of “overpopulation” before addressing questions of colonization—thus further masking the latter. It was colonization, not “overpopulation,” that caused Puerto Rico’s economic problems—saying otherwise is “blaming the victim.” In fact, studies in the same period showed that economic increase, especially after the Depression, followed an increase of population in the dominant, white, working class population of the mainland United States. Yet it did not benefit the colonial agenda of this Patriarchal, White Supremacist, Capitalist system to note that reality for it would further expose its destructive, dehumanizing plot.

This history teaches us a lesson: Dominant forces are so strong that if we aren’t careful we’ll seek answers to our own liberation using the questions of the colonizer. We need to constantly work to decolonize our minds.

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Animation video showing the increase in human population throughout time.