Are we doomed? Probably. But the reason for that doom depends on whom you ask. If you ask a candidate at a recent Democratic town hall event on climate change, we might be doomed because our planet cannot sustain current population levels. But if you ask writer Jonathan V. Last, he will write a book explaining why the opposite is true: We need higher fertility rates to fend off the disastrous economic, social, and even environmental consequences of dwindling population levels.

Lyman Stone – AEI fellow, demographer, and unabashed baby-supporter – joins the podcast to discuss Last’s Bradley Lecture, “What to expect when no one’s expecting.”

This lecture was originally delivered in February 2013.

To read Lyman Stone’s report, “Declining fertility in America“, click here.