Environmental groups working to slow population growth said the Bush decision is a major blow to their efforts. This policy will ultimately impact all efforts to protect the environment. Because rapid population growth exacerbates every environmental problem, it is intimately linked to all our efforts to protect the environment. The rate at which we are consuming natural resources is jeopardizing our planet's health and threatening the availability of water, fisheries, and forests for our children and future generations. Pope said that the world's six billion people place heavy demands on the world's resources.
Family planning saves women, children and our planet.
President Bush's act may satisfy a small group of extremists at the right wing of his party, but it does not represent the will and compassion of the American people. Bush's decision was also condemned by groups ranging from Catholics for a Free Choice, the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition, the National Abortion Federation, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, the National Women's Law Center, and Zero Population Growth. Peter Kostmayer, president of Zero Population Growth, said Bush's move will not reduce the number of abortions in the world. We know that family planning reduces abortion by allowing women the power to choose when to have children and how many children to have. Recipients should seek permission to reprint the article from the source listed above.