About Us

Our Mission:

To empower people to consider the best level of human population for their region and for the planet, and then to help implement steps towards reaching and maintaining those levels.

While there are many numbers and arguments for the Earth's maximum sustainable human population, they all hinge on the question, in what manner shall the Earth's people live?

IfPopS sees its role as helping to remove the obstacles that keep that question from being seriously and rationally discussed in public discourse, and helping to develop the steps necessary to move toward those goals.

IfPops raises public awareness by:

Exploring the links between population growth and local stories such as urban sprawl, water rights, and energy consumption
Channeling funding toward research on population-related issues
Encouraging and facilitating popular discussion of population issues

Institute for Population Studies
1400 Shattuck Avenue Suite 9
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 848-9062
info@ifpops.org

:: Staff Bios ::

Searle Whitney
IfPops founder Searle Whitney graduated cum laude from Yale University and holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in psychology. He has worked in diverse fields including software development, accounting and publishing. He has a longtime interest in ecology and social justice. His current passions include oldtime and bluegrass music.

Joel Bassett
Joel Bassett is a researcher and advocate for issues concerning population and the environment. He is a graduate of Warren Wilson College.

Samuel Berns
Sam Berns is a researcher investigating health care infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa, and it's relation to prosperity.

New content here! To empower people to consider the best population size for their region and for the planet. [ more ]