On May 25 in the Valley about 200 people marched and rallied in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The march was in the neighboring Massachusetts towns of Deerfield and Sunderland. Sunderland borders Amherst. Deerfield borders Greenfield. About 75 people marched, organizer Lu Vincent told the Valley Post. “We walked along the (Connecticut river) bridge in commemoration of the one year anniversary of George Floyd's murder, and to take notice of many many lives of people of color who have died at the hands of police,” she said. “It was a peaceful, powerful gathering.”

One of the groups that organized the march has a web page at:

www.facebook.com/groups/548230779189803

On the same day in Northampton about 80 people attended a rally. The organizers have a web site at:

https://NorthamptonAbolitionNow.com

The same day in Putney, Vermont about 40 people attended a Black Lives Matter rally. Putney is about 10 minutes from Brattleboro by bus. The rally was organized by a politician. His web page is:

https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2018/14598

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“Human population growth and over-consumption are at the root of our most pressing environmental problems, including the wildlife extinction crisis, habitat loss and climate change.” That's according to:

www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability

The Center for Biological Diversity owns that web site. The Center employs dozens of lawyers.

On May 23, the top article on the New York Times web site predicted that the world's population will go down.

Stephanie Feldstein works for the Center for Biological Diversity. On May 24, she told the Valley Post, “The end of unsustainable population growth should be celebrated as the result of improved health care and equality, and as a step toward easing pressure on the planet. There may be challenges with demographic change, but that’s nothing compared to the challenges we’ll face from climate change. Policymakers need to stop worrying about how to promote endless growth and start thinking about how to support resilient communities with a higher quality of life for people and nature.”

She went on, “Lower birth rates are a good sign that the trend of population growth is shifting, but it’s not something we can take for granted since reproductive rights and equality are still under attack here in the U.S. and around the world. It’s also important to note that even under the best scenarios, population momentum means we’ll have continued growth for several decades before global population begins to stabilize or decline. And those decades are crucial in the fights against the climate and extinction emergencies, so even with the possibility of a more stable population on the horizon, we have to continue rapidly reducing emissions, curbing consumption, and conserving nature.”