Overpopulation has been a threat to the planet since long before anyone heard of climate change.

English economist Thomas Malthus first sounded an alarm about the potential for population growth to overwhelm the planet's natural resources in 1798. The alarm rang again in 1968 with Paul Erlich's doomsday treatise "The Population Bomb," and has reverberated since in the background of the climate crisis: All else being equal, more people means more emissions, more hungry mouths, more potential victims of natural catastrophes.

As faculty and students at the University of Washington, we are appalled by the new federal directive that would impede international students from continuing their education at colleges and universities if classes are only held online.

By Paige Stringer

Hearing loss is a significant global issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are about 466 million people, or 5% of the world’s population, who have a degree of hearing loss that impacts their daily life and ability to engage with other people. More than 34 million of those affected are children and hearing loss is one of the most common birth anomalies.

It’s virtually certain that 2020 will be on the top five list of hottest years on record for the planet, according to atmospheric scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In a briefing, NOAA officials announced their three-month outlook for this summer, with above average temperatures expected across almost all of the United States. The likelihood of excessive heat is highest in the West and Northeast.