Educational Media Reviews Online

Produced by the advocacy organization, Zero Population Growth, as an update to an earlier 1990 production with the same title, this version is subtitled “A graphic simulation of the history of human population growth.” The video uses an interactive map of the world to demonstrate the impact that billions of people have on our environment. Beginning with the world’s sparse population in the first century, and with the sound of a heart beating in the background, the map slowly fills with dots that individually represent one million people. Projecting that the world’s current population will double in less than fifty years, while useable land and natural resources remain the same or decrease, the film effectively argues for lifestyle and consumption decisions that will slow growth and reduce use of food, space and energy resources. Accompanied by an excellent instructional guide that includes several learning activities and a Spanish translation of the narrative remarks, the film serves as an effective starting point for serious discussions on the immediate and long-range consequences of overpopulation.