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How to Defuse the Overpopulation Bomb

Provided by: Be Smart |Published on: April 27, 2021

Videos

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Synopsis

This animated video on overpopulation from Be Smart details how Earth's population has changed over time, why these changes have occurred, and what this might mean for our future.
Increasing women's access to education is described as a key solution to curb population growth in parts of the developing world.
The video ends with a short interview of Bill Gates where he describes the relationship between improving health and curbing population growth.

Subjects: Biology, History

Authors: Be Smart, PBS

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

The video is optimistic when addressing the future health of our population and solutions for curbing population growth.
Women empowerment is highlighted as a climate change solution that also slows population growth.

Prerequisites

There is an ad at the start of the video.
At 5 minutes, 50 seconds the first portion of the video ends and the interview with Bill Gates begins.

Differentiation & Implementation

The interview with Bill Gates at the end of the video could be used in a health class to discuss life expectancy and the counterintuitive connection between improving health standards and decreasing fertility rates.
The video briefly introduces ethical issues around access to education, wealth inequality, and health in the developing world, which could be expanded on by the teacher.
Science classes could use this resource for lessons on ecological footprints, Earth overshoot day, population dynamics, biodiversity loss, or land-use changes.
Other similar resources include the video Human Population Through Time, the article Health and Education, and the lesson plan Family Planning: Why It Matters.