Population Balance

Population Balance (formerly World Population Balance) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States that raises awareness of the connections between pronatalism, human supremacy, social inequalities, and ecological overshoot, and advocates for solutions to address their combined impacts on the planet, people, and animals.

History and background
Population Balance was founded by David Paxson  as World Population Balance in 1993. He was succeeded as the executive director in 2016 by Dave Gardner. In 2021 Nandita Bajaj became executive director and the organization adopted its current name of Population Balance and a new vision, mission, and philosophy. Notable past and present advisors include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, former Governor of Michigan William Milliken, originator of the "ecological footprint" concept William E. Rees, actress and activist Alexandra Paul, and physicist Albert Allen Bartlett.

Tagline
Shrink Toward Abundance

Vision
Population Balance envisions a future where human's footprint is in balance with life on Earth, enabling all species to thrive.

Mission
Population Balance's mission is to inspire narrative, behavioral, and system change that shrinks our human impact and elevates the rights and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet.

Approach
Population Balance is the only organization globally that uses a humane education lens to address ecological overshoot by advocating for solutions that elevate social, ecological, and intergenerational justice. Their pillars are:


 * Beyond pronatalism toward liberated choices: Empowering people to make liberated and informed choices for themselves, their families, and the planet, including adopting broader understandings of “family” with our human and nonhuman kin.
 * Beyond human supremacy toward ecocentrism: Advocating for a radical shift in our relationship with all animals and with the entire natural world: from one of domination and exploitation, to one of reverence, justice, and care.
 * Beyond social inequalities toward social justice: Challenging the unjust and growth-driven social, political, and economic systems that exploit and disempower human communities and threaten all life on Earth.

Activities
Population Balance uses the humane education framework for its outreach activities that help draw the connections between pronatalism, overpopulation, human supremacy, and ecological collapse and promote urgently needed solutions. Activities include The Overpopulation Podcast, classroom and conference presentations,   academic and media publications, and media and podcast interviews.

The Overpopulation Podcast
The Overpopulation Podcast is released twice monthly and is ranked in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally. The podcast hosts interview expert guests to explore the drivers and impacts of ecological overshoot as well as individual and collective solutions. Notable guests have included Mechai Viravaidya, Riane Eisler, Paul Ehrlich, Alan Weisman, Naomi Oreskes, William E. Rees, Angela Saini, Partha Dasgupta, Carl Safina, Richard Heinberg, Orna Donath, Robert Jensen, Jo-Anne McArthur, Robert Engelman, Malcolm Potts, Alexandra Paul, Kevin Bales, and Vegard Skirbekk.

Academic publications
Population Balance staff make regular contributions in academic publications on the subjects of ecological overshoot, pronatalism and critical animal studies, and in 2024 co-authored a World Scientists' Warning to Humanity paper.

Media appearances
Population Balance’s work has appeared in a variety of media, including The Globe and Mail, National Post, CBC Radio, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Newsweek,   The Christian Science Monitor, Truthdig,  CounterPunch,  Inter Press Service,  Wisconsin Public Radio, and Radio Paradise.

Charity evaluation
Population Balance has a 4-star rating through Charity Navigator and a Platinum transparency rating through Candid (Guidestar).