Donate NowPulitzer Center Senior Editor Tom Hundley joined environmental reporter Kenneth R. Weiss of the Los Angeles Times and Geoffrey D. Dabelko of Ohio University in a wide-ranging discussion on the subject of population at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC.
For “Beyond Seven Billion,” a landmark five-part series published in the Los Angeles Times, Weiss and photographer Rick Loomis traveled to Africa and Asia to document the past two decades’ rapid population growth. They found that the boom is not over: “The biggest generation in history is just entering its childbearing years. The coming wave will reshape the planet, and the impact will be greatest in the poorest, most unstable countries,” wrote Weiss.
At the Wilson Center event on October 9, Hundley, Weiss and Dabelko discussed the impact of population growth on natural resources, food supply, and conflict in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, China, and the Philippines. They discussed the challenges of covering this complex topic—from analyzing demographic projections to addressing contraception controversies—that made the LA Times series a unique accomplishment.