Published by Australian Academy of Science
Useful sites | Population and environment – what's the connection?

State of world population 2004: Population and the environment (United Nations Population Fund)

Report into the condition of the world's population in regard to resource use, poverty and ecological stress. This is part of a larger publication that addresses a wide range of issues to do with global population.
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2004/english/ch3/index.htm

World resources 2002-2004: Decisions for the Earth: Balance, voice, and power (World Resources Institute, USA)

Emphasizes the importance of good environmental governance and how individuals, government managers, and business owners can make better environmental decisions.
http://governance.wri.org/pubs_pdf.cfm?PubID=3764

AAAS atlas of population and environment (American Society for the Advancement of Science, USA)

• Introduction
  Looks at the consumption of key natural resources around the world.
  http://atlas.aaas.org/index.php?part=2

• Energy
  Looks at the world's growing need for energy.
  http://atlas.aaas.org/index.php?part=2&sec=natres&sub=energy

• Freshwater
  Describes the chronic or acute water shortage in many countries with fast-growing populations.
  http://atlas.aaas.org/index.php?part=2&sec=natres&sub=water

• Foodcrops
  Asks whether the world can feed growing populations.
  http://atlas.aaas.org/index.php?part=2&sec=natres&sub=crops

• Meat and fish
  Describes the implications for land use with the trend towards consumption of meat and fish as countries and families grow richer.
  http://atlas.aaas.org/index.php?part=2&sec=natres&sub=meatfish

• Forest products
  Looks at the challenges the world faces as it tries to find ways of using forests sustainably.
  http://atlas.aaas.org/index.php?part=2&sec=natres&sub=forest

• International trade
  Asks if global markets will take ecological concerns into account in the future.
  http://atlas.aaas.org/index.php?part=2&sec=natres&sub=trade

The population story – so far (World Watch Institute, posted by Sustainable Population Australia) (PDF file)

Article that discusses the impact of a still-rising world population combining with fast-rising resource consumption.
http://www.population.org.au/media/pub/WorldWatch2004.pdf

2004 Fenner Conference on the Environment Understanding the population – environment debate: Bridging disciplinary divides (Australian Academy of Science)

Provides transcripts of talks presented at the two day symposium.
http://www.science.org.au/events/fenner/index.htm

Future dilemmas (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Australia) (PDF file)

Explores the impact of the size of Australia's future population on our environment, physical economy, national infrastructure and on our quality of life. A summary and guide to the technical report is available as a PDF file at Dilemmas distilled.
http://www.cse.csiro.au/publications/2002/fulldilemmasreport02-01.pdf

How to talk to Americans (Our Planet E-magazine, Earth Action Network, Inc., USA)

Comments on how the public has become insensitive to large scale environmental problems and human catastrophies.
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2424

Australian Broadcasting Corporation transcripts

• The biology of civilisation (Ockham's Razor, 12 December 2004)
  A discussion of the complex interrelationships between human culture and nature and the idea of ecological sustainability.
  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s1261472.htm

• Discarding the Bovver boots: Ecological footprints (Earthbeat, 13 April 2002)
  An interview with Professor Bill Rees, the man behind the concept of the ecological footprint.
  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/earth/stories/s530081.htm

Ecological footprint (Powerhouse Museum, Australia)

Defines the term ‘ecological footprint’, how it is used and its importance.
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/pdf/education/teachersnotes/ecologic.pdf

Sydney’s ecological footprint – a size 11 problem? (Online Opinion, Australia)

Uses the concept of an ecological footprint to put a number on a sustainable population size for Australia.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=1189

Ecological footprint quiz (Earthday Network)

Online quiz calculates your ecological footprint.
http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index_reset.asp

World in the Balance population interactives (Nova, USA)

• Human numbers through time
  Looks at population growth over the past two millennia, and what might happen in the next 50 years.
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/numbers.html

• Global trends quiz
  Test your understanding of the population trends and environmental challenges facing nations around the world.
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/trends.html

• Earth in peril
  Explore how consumption and rapid population growth affect our planet's natural resources.
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/earth.html