This book seems to be about population, but it is really about justice. Merchant’s argument is that population growth is not a barrier to economic and environmental progress. Rather, population growth has been used as a scapegoat for a variety of global ills, thus distracting attention from the distributional injustices rising from the rich world fouling the air and water and using the majority of the earth’s resources despite having a minority of the world’s people. Moreover, she argues that the demography profession not only supported this scapegoating but rose to global prominence on its back. Whether pursuing the “moderate” approach—encouraging voluntary reductions in family size to slow growth—or the more extreme approach—vigorously promoting fertility control to reduce global population—scientists who tout fertility reduction as the crucial method to fight climate change or end poverty do substantial harm by blaming the poor and pushing phantom remedies for real ills.
Many...