Population balance is amongst the most intelligent, scientific, and comprehensive examinations of our global ecological and humanitarian realities and responsibilities. Every guest is well chosen and the hosts’ in-depth knowledge lead to critical questions and commentary to bring out their key ideas. The podcast should be the basis of curriculum at all learning institutions to create an ecological and justice basis for understanding and decision making in this rapidly degrading world.

- Tushar, Canada

Loved the conversation with Isabel Fassbender. It is important to have such nuanced discussions on the topic of population and fertility rates. I come from India where I observe two extremes. In areas where women who don't have agency to make their own reproductive decisions, the fertility rates are still very high. On the other hand, women who have agency and financial independence put off marriage and childbearing longer than ever before because marriage is still a very patriarchal institution in India. And it is still a taboo to have children outside of marriage. What we are seeing in countries like S. Korea and now in China is that when the societal values are still very patriarchal, marriage is a losing game for women. While naturally declining birth rates are not a bad thing in an overpopulated world, alienation between men and women is also not the best way for that to happen. Meanwhile, the public discourse (even in India) is moving towards population collapse panic which feels bizarre in a world headed towards 10 billion in a few decades. We need more platforms like your podcast having more authentic and sincere conversations about population growth.

- Ankita, India

I'm the director of a nonprofit that works for animal rights, I'm a vegan, childfree, minimalist, zero waste, bicycle user, non-flying person, etc. I truly believe that personal change is important and that it drives bigger changes in society. I love the podcast and I thank you all for creating this space where we can learn and discuss the overpopulation issue. It's nice to "know" people that are not afraid to speak about such a delicate and urgent subject with respect and dedication.

- Juliana, Colombia

Thank you to your team for all the great work that you do. It is so hard to break through the endless media mantra that ‘growth is good’, and ‘a shrinking population constitutes a disaster’. Your ‘Shrink toward abundance’ line is perfect - people usually have a negative connotation of ‘shrink’, but paired with abundance (which I think of as an abundance of joy, health, comfort, ecological diversity, space, etc.) is positive, and it really causes me to stop and think. Your podcast episodes are phenomenal - you speak with such incredible people. Thank you for your absolutely critical work!

- Cathy, USA

I felt grateful for your discussion with Dr. Donath about the negative experiences of some mothers/parents in relation to having children. I was one of those people who, while I loved my baby, didn’t love motherhood. I felt like my life had ended. People would gush, “Don’t you love being a mother?” and I would respond “No. I love my son, but I don’t really love being a mother.” The sleepless nights and boring days and diaper changing and cracked, painful nipples and mastitis, and loss of my previous life were so hard for me, but this was so taboo to admit. I felt like saying these things out loud made me a pariah or a freak. I was so resentful of all the things we aren’t told!

- Anonymous, New England, USA

Thank you for your interview with Bill Ryerson: Soap Operas for Social Justice. I have generally had a contemptuous attitude to soap operas (and the viewers). Most soap operas are superficial, promote ostentatious and consumerist lifestyles, and have a negative effect on society. Bur Bill’s strategy of turning them to good use has given me a new perspective re the potential good in this market. His strategy seems to have had enormous effect, and he is targeting and influencing people who otherwise would not be interested in or even resistant to topics such as family planning. Thanks again for your good work.

- Dennis, South Africa

Thanks so much for your excellent interview with Carl Safina! I was so impressed with it that I listened to it twice. Carl Safina’s message — that other species have their own unique cultures — their own highly-evolved systems of communication and cooperation — needs to be heard and understood much more broadly. Perhaps if it were, we humans would repent of our foolish arrogance in relentlessly terrorizing and exterminating the myriad beautiful creatures with whom we share the planet. Thank you for your good work in sharing Carl Safina’s message, and thereby endorsing a more sane and responsible way of life for us humans.

- Charles, USA

I deeply enjoyed listening to your interview with Dr. Amrita Nandy. Recently my wife had her tubes removed (salpingectomy) // for a number of reasons, chief of which was we didn't want a kid and she wanted a permanent solution to her reproductive capacities.

I organised for her a "not-a-baby shower" to celebrate this moment in our lives. We had friends over to shower her in gifts and perform a host of rituals from washing her feet, feeding her spoonfuls of her favourite foods, to hosting a quiz themed on her life + fun uterus/reproductive facts.

For everyone who showed up - it was the first party of it's kind that they had attended, because these parties just don't exist yet. But I think awareness is growing, and I'm grateful to people like yourself for spreading the word.

I'm also grateful that we live in a part of the world that enables such decisions, though truth be told - doctors were reluctant at first citing her age (36) as a factor. But nonetheless, the medical world did help her take control of her reproductive choices. And we also are surrounded by those who not just accept, but support and encourage these choices. Not everyone is as privileged.

- Akash, Switzerland

I'm a 17 year old student and I'm currently studying geography in school. I recently came across your podcast and really loved how I get to relate what I learn in the classroom to the discussions you guys are having.

- Emma, Singapore

I recently found your podcast series and have found it both very enlightening and comforting to know there is a network of educated and concerned people across the globe tackling the ‘pregnant elephant in the room’ topic of overpopulation. Your interviews and guests have had me rushing for a notepad and nodding my head while listening so many times. It’s been a delight discovering your collection, and hearing the discussions so articulately expressing topics I have, on more than one occasion, disrupted dinner parties with in my own clumsy explanations. Thank you for sharing this important work.

-Jackson, Australia

Your podcast interview on vasectomies is terrific, a masterful work of messaging about a significant topic that deserves wide recognition. Dr. Esgar Guarín is a passionate, holistically-oriented doctor providing a much-needed medical procedure, one that offers positive benefits for men, their partners, and the planet. His enthusiasm for his work is inspiring, as evidenced in his philosophical goals, eloquent vocal expressions, personal stories and experiences. He is indeed a dynamic personality.

- Clif and Bettye, USA

Your podcast has truly opened my eyes (and ears) to pronatalism & parenthood, and had a profound impact on my life. Big thanks from across the pond. I think I have binged on your pronatalism panel, the Carter Dillard interview, and the Therese Shechter interview about 5 times each so thanks for offering such a great platform for discussion! The societal pressure to procreate was a bit of an issue for me and I was struggling to navigate these feelings until I found the podcast. With the shocking news from the US these past couple of days it seems like there is a fair way to go, but hopefully this can become a catalyst for change and growing awareness of Population Balance.

- Jack, England

I cannot say BRAVO enough times for all the informative podcasts Population Balance has and is producing!! I forward your name and podcasts to people constantly. I am a marine biologist and know that the only answer to help save us and every other species on the planet is to face the overpopulation crisis. Of course, we need to still focus on all the other "green things" we are doing but those will never be enough and nothing is sustainable unless our human numbers are. Your podcasts give us solid information to educate others on this critical topic.

- Stefanie, USA

You have nailed it. The podcast on Pronatalism was brilliant and it is clear to me now that you and all the other women on the panel are the future. You are going to have more positive impact with your work than any politicians in the country. I was so disappointed with the leaders debate on climate change, but I feel hopeful with you and the work you are doing will have more impact on climate change than any of the political parties. You have found the image I was looking for. Thanks for your work and caring for humanity.

- Kae, Canada

I became vegan 3 years ago and now work at a leading vegan charity as a campaigner - as close to being a "professional vegan" as you can be. Increasingly, however, I started to feel that I had stopped challenging my own behaviours, so while out running I started to listen to podcasts on things that would butt up against my own preconceptions on different topics. I stumbled across the Population Balance podcast and binge-listened to numerous episodes. 

Previously, I'd believed that overpopulation wasn't a problem yet so long as we transitioned to a land-use-efficient plant-based diet, and that it was a step too far to recommend smaller families to people across the world - especially the developing world who, I thought, had to experience population growth for economic growth. 

So much of what I heard in the Population Balance podcast challenged everything I thought that I believed about population - but I was immediately struck by how rational, kind, empathetic and evidence-based it was. I had written on my personal blog a bit about population before and how (I thought) a plant-based diet would mitigate the problem. I have since rewritten that very blog and backpedalled a number of my own fallacies. So, thanks Population Balance! You're still my favourite podcast to listen to while out running. Keep it up.

- Rory, UK

I wanted to congratulate you on your overpopulation podcast. The interviews are so educational and enlightening. There is currently a resurgence amongst people on tik tok towards pro-natalism. Mostly fighting against a decrease in population because they think its racist and eco-fascist. I love how you explain these issues and I really think it would benefit so many people if you spread your message on tik tok. It's a place where a lot of young people are molding their world views and opinions.

- Juliana, USA

No other podcast does such a fine job of looking unflinchingly but thoughtfully at both the challenges of and solutions to the world’s overpopulation problem. Podcasters and interviewers Nandita Bajaj and Alan Ware are extremely knowledgeable, and are well-prepared for each discussion. Their podcast guests provide the listener with a remarkable range of perspectives and expertise on the topic. The Overpopulation Podcast should be at the top of the listening list for anyone interested in halting the ongoing global ecological disaster, and in finding a path to true sustainability.

- Amazon Review, USA

Fantastic episode on vasectomies ! So inspiring! Thank you for airing this segment! Dr. Guarin is such an effective and compassionate communicator. This was always a deep passion of mine as an Ob/Gyn years ago - it was SO FRUSTRATING to see women have to undergo surgeries for tubal ligation (with all the risks and expense that entailed), while their male partners had the opportunity to step forward and have a 15-minute procedure that is nearly risk-free by comparison...yet so many men simply would not do it. Times are changing in many ways. Now is the time to make vasectomies as accessible as possible to men everywhere, and let's celebrate that opportunity and that choice!

- Gina, USA

I would like to thank you so much for your recent podcast episode on sex education! Your guests shared very good insights on the relationship between overpopulation and wildlife conservation. I have also gained more knowledge about the childfree life from them as well. In fact, I am seriously considering a vasectomy because I want to promote my advocacy for overshoot awareness and reproductive rights. It’s my way to “Be the Change you want to see in the world" so to speak.”

- Brix, The Philippines

Eileen Crist’s thought-leadership around population, ecocentrism, and global rewilding always impresses me, but this particular interview is absolutely breathtaking in places. I wish the whole world had 60 minutes to listen to her philosophical command of the issues at hand, her adroit language skills, and her ability to frame solving the human predicament as a series of ethical choices to be made, based on considerations of all life on Earth… not just human self-interest.

- Joe, USA

I've listened to your Pronatalism podcast three times because it's so refreshing to hear people expressing these views. A Pronatalism grad course sounds fascinating--ground breaking, even. Teaching fish about water. You covered a few issues dear to me. Instead of wasting time denying that we're advocating involuntary methods, you went right to the fact that we have involuntary population control already. You put to rest the false dichotomy that exists more in people's minds than in reality. Also, the birth dearth warnings that the beneficiaries of population growth constantly warn about.

- Les, USA

Great interview with Dr. Kimya Dennis It's such a relief to find a strong and refreshing conversation about race, culture, history and personal choices. I found myself talking back (almost always in emphatic agreement!) to you all. Having lived much of the past 40 years in post-apartheid societies as a White American woman, I completely appreciate the great combination of nuance and bluntness, and of currentness and deep history, in this conversation.

- Phoebe, USA

I just listened to your episode with Mr. Carter Dillard and it is absolutely brilliant. I applauded during certain parts of the episode which were paradigm-breakers for me. The concept of a “Fair Start” is something I’ve never heard of. My favorite quote from him during that podcast is that “Having children is not a personal right just for the parent but an interpersonal right between parent and child.” Here in the Philippines, children’s laws exist but they never deal with the parents’ accountability as to the choice of having them in the first place. Having any number children regardless of the parent’s capacity to take care of them should not be a norm that the law turns a blind eye to. This is why there is widespread child poverty, trafficking, & sexual abuse here. Thank you once again for this brilliant episode.

Brixton, The Philippines

This podcast brings together topics like climate change, social justice, animal welfare, and population studies in a fun and educative way. You’ll both laugh and learn as you listen to discussions with a vast array of all-stars in so many themes. The population is fantastic for learning about overpopulation, of course, but also delves deep into so many other themes, events and issues.

I’ve really enjoyed the episodes from the start - and the Paul Erlich one was great, along with Eileen Crist, if you are just starting. Perfect for driving or walking!

- Lukas, USA

This podcast is an excellent source of well thought out discussion around the issues of overpopulation. After reading "Countdown" by Alan Weisman, I became fascinated with this topic. This is the best and most professional podcast you'll find on the subject!

- Tim, USA

LoveLoveLoved your show with Bill Ryerson. He is an amazing man and it was great learning about the history of the Sabido Method and how Population Media Center is so successfully applying it all around the world. Keep up the great work!

- Alexandra Paul, USA

I send my most hearty congratulations and support for your excellent work in promoting awareness of the impact of rapidly advancing population on the environment and human well being. For many years, I have believed that the world’s increasing population, which has quadrupled in my lifetime, is an issue about which little is ever said. I am a retired college professor of education and teacher of many grade levels and I thank you for your exceptional work.

- Karen, USA

Overpopulation is an issue that needs to come to the forefront of recognition ahead of climate change as the latter is a part and a symptom of the former. These podcasts are critical to understanding this most important topic. They're informative, entertaining, thought provoking, and solution based. All my life, I've been a solutionary, now I know the term for it.

- Apple Podcast Review

The Population Balance team do an excellent job of finding interesting interviewees, each with a different story to tell, on the subject of overpopulation. Such an important issue, this podcast helps to spread the word in a calm, thoughtful way. Standout recent episodes include Phoebe Barnard and Mechai Viravaidya.

- Jeremy, USA

I love your work. I just listened to the online conference of women pushing back on pro-natalism. It was very sensible and sensitive - so inspiring, too. I also just listened to you on Michael's Post Growth Australia podcast. Well done and thank you for visiting Australia virtually.

- Simon, Australia

This podcast is so well put together and so informative, I only wish it reached more people. I am supportive of a declining population and believe that the population must halve in order to save humanity (we have just passed 8 billion people), not grow. After listening to this podcast, I now have more tools in my toolbox, more data, and a better understanding of how crucial this topic is. Listening to this podcast has reassured my decision to live a child-free life for all the selfless reasons. I am even further inspired to continue my education in population studies, which am currently looking at Ph.D. programs where I hope to become a contributing members in the small community of those who favor population decline. This podcast has been inspiring, motivating, and above all, educational. Thank you for all the amazing work you have done! I highly recommend this podcast.

- Amazon Review, USA

Each podcast is such a revelation in less is more. The underlying cause of most of the world's serious problems i.e. lack of opportunity, poverty, violence, pollution, and depletion of natural resources find their roots in overpopulation.

- Joanna, USA

This podcast needs more attention! Covers so much ground, from parenting to politics to the environment. Great content, great hosts.

- Cooper, USA

We were impressed with Jo-Anne McArthur’s photo exhibit-Animals in the Anthropocene. Her compassion for the animals she’s met and captured in photos is contagious, and the message that we are all animals deserving respect and care communicated clearly.

- Clif, USA

Just listened to the Challenging the Social Pressures to Procreate podcast you hosted.  As half of a happy childless-by-choice couple, I found it a source of hope and inspiration. 

- Albert, Hawaii

Struth! Absolutely spot-on, insightful, uplifting film (My So-Called Selfish Life) and webinar. Thank you for hosting it. Delighted with the quality of these narratives and the embracing of raw real life families, not the Lindsay Graham style models.

- Dr. Barnard, USA