Soaring Past 7 Billion: Population Challenges for a Crowded World

John Seager

May 21, 2017

John Seager, President & CEO of Population Connection (www.populationconnection.org), will address global population growth, its causes and impacts, and how we can meet those challenges.

Global population grows by approximately 80 million people annually. In 1999, the United Nation’s Population Division projected that world population would reach 7 billion in 2013. Instead, we reached that milestone a full two years earlier than anticipated, hitting 7 billion in October 2011, and 7.4 billion in August 2016. Recent projections by the UN for a medium population number are 8.1 billion in 2025, 9.7 billion in 2050, and an astounding 11.2 billion in 2100. John’s talk offers an overview of root causes, impacts and ways to meet the population challenge, illustrating the intersections between population stabilization, the environment, social equity, and women’s empowerment.

Before joining Population Connection, John was with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. John also served as Chief of Staff for former U.S. Representative Peter H. Kostmayer (D-PA), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs and Interior committees. A veteran of more than 50 political campaigns, John has published op-eds and articles on population growth for a number of news outlets including Huffington Post, GlobalPost, and RH Reality Check.

Population Connection is the preeminent grassroots group seeking to stabilize global population. It calls attention to the ramifications of rapid population growth by educating, informing, and inspiring Americans to support voluntary methods to achieve global population stabilization—especially funding for domestic and international family planning. With 300,000+ members and supporters, we educate people and motivate activism.