Journal for Solidarity and Sustainability
The homepage for The Mother Pelican Journal for Solidarity and Sustainability is a wealth of information, and it serves as a mission statement for my own journey. The editor, Luis Gutierrez, identifies key articles each month and reproduces them within the monthly publication. In the issue for February 2026, an article caught my eye. The author was Olivia Nater communications manager for Population Connection.
In the article GEO-7 ~ Major UN Report, Highlights Overpopulation and Overconsumption, Need for Profound Transformation, Olivia explains that the recommendations expressed in the GEO-7 report from the United Nations conflict very strongly with pronatalism and growth economics, thus: The report notes the effectiveness of promoting the health and economic benefits of smaller family sizes in reducing population growth. It even states that removing barriers to contraception and encouraging smaller family sizes (through media outreach as well as tax and benefits policies) are “a moral duty that also yields environmental benefits for both nature and people.” Apparently the usual procedure for summarising and sharing the recommendations has been delayed and may not happen, because so many government representatives refused to even accept this important report’s findings.
Denial, Delusion, and Hypocrisy
We are all guilty of different degrees of denial, delusion and hypocrisy relating to different aspects of our lives. Our entire global socio-economic model remains reliant on deluding ourselves that we can survive the existential polycrises that we are escalating by persisting with an ecocidal socio-economic model. Numerous collaborations are emerging that aspire to steer humanity in a wiser direction. However, they all remain constrained within a toxic global socio-economic model that compels us to compete with each other to make a financial profit.
We need education systems that are experiential from kindergarten through to the highest level. That is the only way that we can become creative enough to survive and hopefully minimise the ecosystems collapse that is now unfolding. Education needs to reinforce our connections with Nature and ensure an understanding of the carrying-capacity of Earth from a very young age.
8 Billion Angels – Free Film
Terry Spahr produced the excellent film 8 Billion Angels, it was released in 2019 and is now available to watch for free. The film links to the EarthOvershoot.org where one can drill down from the world map to discover details like sustainable population size for a particular country. The results are in line with the rough estimating method that I explained in an earlier article. Drilling down from the UK arrives at the page of information reproduced below.
A Global Aspiration
Early on in my work I realised that a collective ambition to return within the carrying capacity of Earth would help to steer all of humanity into a wiser direction. If you like this idea, please sign the petition and share it:
Petition · Ask the UN to ratify a ‘Global Aspiration for Eco-equity’ — United Kingdom · Change.org