THE CROWDED PLANET POPULATION CONNECTION OF GREATER BOSTON Overpopulation: Too Much of a Good Thing Published Bimonthy

• Last Issue: September/October 2001
• Back Issues: 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997
• Reader Comments
• In Each Issue:
• Population Connection/Boston Chapter Information
• Population Connection/Boston Chapter Membership Form
• Subscription Information
• Editorial Guidelines

Reader Comments

Regarding "The Crowded Planet," November/December issue: keep 'em coming fellas! It's much better than the average newsletter that slithers its way into a Capitol Hill mailbox. Now, back to the zoo,

Ryan McCormick
Legislative Assistant
Senator John F. Kerry

I just read the November/December newsletter—lots of good stuff.  I especially like the book review idea.  It would be nice to also have video reviews since many of us use them for educational purposes, but can't afford to purchase too many, especially when we're unsure of their quality.

Sincerely,
Linda Huebner

My group, Alliance for Democracy, needs such a newsletter. Where do you get this printed and how much does it cost? I am taking it to our national meeting in Washington, D.C. to show for an example of a good looking newsletter.

Thanks,
Jean Maryborn

Hi Greg. The newsletter looks great. Thanks for including my article. And you've done a great job with all the links—it's an information-packed piece. Good job!

Annie Faulkner

I am a member of ZPG's Boston chapter. I like the newsletter's new format; I find it much easier to read than before. My overall reaction to it was very positive.

Len Gosule

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Subscription Information

If you would like to subscribe via email, send your email address to breinan@alumni.stanford.org. You say you own a computer but don't have an email address? There are several companies that offer free email service. Most require internet access, but some do not. One example of the latter is Juno (800-654-JUNO).

If you have web access, you can browse us on the internet at http://www.populationconnection.org/chapters/boston/newsletter.html.

To receive the print edition, please contact Howie Breinan at 860-228-3131 or Gregory Wilcox at 828-665-7531.

Editorial Guidelines

Content

If you wish to submit an opposing view, we may consider publishing it in a "Letters to the Editor" column. This column will clearly indicate that the opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect official Population Connection policy.

We try to keep some criteria in mind when deciding which articles to publish. Primary among these is, is it of special interest to the readership of the newsletter? Of lesser concern: is it unique and not published elsewhere? Is it "news you can use"? And lastly, in the spirit of journalism, does it inform—does it tell the reader something she really ought to be aware of?

The Crowded Planet is the newsletter of Population Connection of Greater Boston. As such, it serves members of the Boston chapter, as well as many others in the area. This readership will probably be most interested in 1.) local population news and events, and 2.) articles by chapter members or subscribers. Like any regional medium, it tries to cater primarily to the region.

However, the newsletter should not be parochial. While we try to entertain our readers, we also have a responsibility to educate them. Hopefully we can do this in an entertaining way. Unless we do, the message will likely be ignored.

Educating readers necessarily involves not just local stories, but national and international as well. So we endeavor to have a good balance of each. The difficulty with the latter two categories is in deciding which to use. There are hundreds to pick from. The Population Connection Action Network sends out one or two every week—all of them good candidates. And there are dozens of population newsletters and web sites that could easily be potential sources. How do we choose?

Style

Finally, under no circumstances will we publish an article which furthers the corruption of any of the following perfectly good and useful words. We don't want to have our newsletter contribute to the delinquency of a language!  :-)

• impact - as a verb, means "to pack, wedge, or press together". If you mean "affect", say so!
• practically - from the root word practice. Means "for practical or actual purposes". This is not the same as almost.
• virtual (or its adjectival form, virtually) - "being in essence or effect but not in fact". This is also not the same as almost, and the difference is not subtle.
• literal (or its adjectival form, literally) - from the Latin word litterallis, meaning "of a letter". The first definition is "adhering to fact or to the ordinary construction or primary meaning of a word or expression". (Or in other words, that is the literal meaning of the word literal!) Sentences like "When I saw Gloria again, I literally blew a gasket" make the writer appear to be virtually illiterate.

• Elements of Style
• Guide to Grammar and Style
• The Slot
• Common Errors
• Common Errors in English

Length

"Omit needless words!", cries the author on page 17, and into that imperative Will Strunk really put his heart and soul. In the days when I was sitting in his class, he omitted so many needless words, and omitted them so forcibly and with such eagerness and obvious relish, that he often seemed in the position of having shortchanged himself—a man left with nothing more to say yet with time to fill, a radio prophet who had outdistanced the clock. Will Strunk got out of this predicament by a simple trick: he uttered every sentence three times. When he delivered his oration on brevity to the class, he leaned forward over his desk, grasped his coat lapels in his hands, and, in a husky, conspiratorial voice, said, "Rule 13. Omit needless words! Omit needless words! Omit needless words!"

I certainly don't mean to encourage long-windedness, especially not for its own sake. But consider the culture. We live in a world of sound bites, infotainment, and media feeding frenzies. We hunger for the latest, juiciest tidbit—but we never sit down to relax and enjoy a full meal.

I like to listen to NPR (National Public Radio) because their news broadcasts tell more than just the headlines. They will do two or three in-depth news pieces with a local reporter, usually about 10 minutes in length. After you hear one of these, you feel like you know "the story behind the story". I watch the television program 60 Minutes on CBS for the same reason.

Some topics require more space to fully explain. For example, see the article Can We Really Do Anything About Population Growth? The author presents a problem, tells why current solution methods are not working, and then lays out his case for a better way. Each step builds from the last, and the logic flows nicely.

Policy

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Last Update: September 1, 2001.