BERKELEY -- Which poses a greater threat to the environment: human population growth or mismanagement of natural resources? What are the real causes of the environmental degradation now threatening the Earth's ecosystems?

These daunting questions will be explored at a conference titled "Population and the Environment: Too Many People and/or Poor Management of Resources?" at the University of California, Berkeley, on Monday, May 24. The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Alumni House and is free and open to the public.

Giving the keynote address will be Joel E. Cohen, professor of populations at the Rockefeller University and Columbia University and co-winner of the 1999 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, one of the world's most prestigious environmental awards. Cohen is a renowned populations expert who has made major contributions to demographic methodology and statistical ecology. In his conference presentation, he will discuss how human population, the environment and culture interact. Also speaking will be faculty from UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources and School of Public Health and representatives from environmental and other nonprofit organizations.

The morning sessions will include an overview of Earth's carrying capacity and growth limitations and a discussion of population and environmental issues in developed countries. The afternoon will include a session on developing countries. Throughout the day, panelists will identify key factors in the human population explosion and environmental degradation and explore their emergence from historical, public health, economic and other perspectives. The panelists also will suggest solutions to emerging problems and identify future research and policy challenges.

Cohen, head of the Rockefeller University's Laboratory of Populations, is the author of several award-winning books, including How Many People Can the Earth Support? His many posts include serving on the Coun
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Contact: Jill Goetz
jgoetz@nature.berkeley.edu
510-643-1042
University of California - Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources
6-May-1999