(1) Over Population

Political ecology

nature and society are produced together

Impact equation

Impact = population x affluence (level of production) x technology

Neo-malthusians

population is the most prevelant problem and only population is the problem

What did neo-malthusians get wrong?

more people means more good ideas + more demand for things gives incentive for innovation

Narratives in the Global South

natural resource shortages are the result of surplus bodies AKA in the global south

(L) what is a greater threat than overpopulation?

reducing autonomy

(L) What did Malthus believe?

worried about the future of human & the capacity for humans to produce > earth’s resources (theory was wrong)

(L)What Malthus want?

to punish poor people (women) bc of the population problem, and that they should practice moral restraint

(L) Why was Malthus wrong?

He didn’t account for growth in technology, per capita consumption, and education for women / rights & fertility

(L) What does population centric thinking not account for?

The environment, health, culture, technology

(L) what is the low hanging fruit solution?

easier to hand out condoms than to consider health/infrastructure
there was a fixation on reducing fertility rates as a gateway to combat overpopulation

(L) population justice framework

equates the problem of poverty to fertility rates (ignores colonization, ect)

(L) Malthusian thinking / overpopulation

is weaponizing towards women, specifically darker women