There's an important new blog on the block.  The Population Reference Bureau this week launched "Behind the Numbers," a blog that tell us what their researchers and scholars are thinking about...behind the numbers.  A welcomed addition to the debate about demographic trends and their implications, two blogs have already appeared this week. 

In his first blog posting "Four Steps to Fewer Poor People," PRB's President, Bill Butz, lays out--based upon his experience at PRB, RAND, the Census Bureau, and the National Science Foundation--what he would do reduce poverty in the world if had $1 billion to spend.  He divides his hypothetical $1 billion among efforts to: 1) improve education in poor countries, 2) increase the availability of effective and affordable contraceptives, 3) teach disadvantage U.S. children age 4-6 cognitive and non-cognitive skills; and 4) eliminate child nourishment in the world.  He asks, at the end what others would do with $1 billion to reduce poverty.  I urge you to read his column and respond to his question.

Charles Teller, a Bixby Visiting Scholar, asks the "Is Africa Being Eaten by the Malthusian Dragon?"  The answer he says "...depends on where, when and who!"  He notes that there are several trends at work in sub-Saharan Africa, including declining fertility and mortality rates in many countries.  He cautions, however, that despite some improvement in dietary intake, "persistent and chronic stunting" remains a serious problem.  He also notes that,  "African research on poverty, hunger, and the demographic transition has demonstrated a need to look beyond rapid population growth and large families as the overarching factors, and to incorporate other factors such as geographic and age distribution, land density and environment, migration and urbanization, family and marriage, as well as socio-economic, cultural, and gender disparities."

We will be adding "Behind the Numbers" to our blogroll.  You should as well.